Mine,His
by Rara Erza Heartfilia
Summary: Mine:"- just so you understand,Princess,I don't share." /His: Petrified emerald eyes darted between the two. This was revolting. WRONG. Yet there he was,perusing,giving in.What else could he do?"Ten seconds,feline."Came that acidic voice. Panic began to set in."Four,three,TWO-"He knelt and their innocent green and blue eyes screamed 'NO'..."I surrender."/R&R!
1. Enticing

**A/N: Chat Noir is a villain, Marinette is not yet Ladybug. They're 18.**

 **He never went to school, he remained home-schooled. His father comes home once a week.**

 **Paris is now completely filled with villians , the worst being Chat who sometimes nearly kills male victims, just for fun. He rarely does more than just scratch females as he doesn't feel as gratified when he hurts women.**

 **The criminals rarely attack during the day as police forces have quadrupled, after 5 p.m. however, they come out more confident in the dark.**

 **Since Adrien remained home-schooled he has only ever been in contact with Chloe.**

 **Everyone's lives continue as normal, but just become more cautious when evening rolls around.**

He gazed down coldly at the streets of Paris, watching as some of the citizens clung to their lovers and hurriedly made their way into their homes.

He snorted. Disgusting.

He walked gracefully along the edge of a rooftop. Paris was not the 'happy' place that it had once been…and he loved every moment of it's demise.

The pain. The sadness on all their faces. Oh, and that delicious look of fear. It was utterly breath-taking.

He smirked as the sky revealed that it was about to make the lives of the Parisians even more miserable. Black clouds rolled in, and a clap of thunder could be heard in the distance.

A harsh gush of wind snapped his attention back down to the streets, where a red headed girl was making her way towards what seemed to be a bakery. Almost as if she sensed him looking at her, she spun around, and momentarily they made eye contact.

A look of utmost horror flashed across her slowly paling tanned skin. He grew annoyed as her gaze never averted.

He snarled. He had always hated when people looked at him. Sure, he loved their fear, but something in their eyes always annoyed him to no ends.

Baring his teeth he began to jump down towards her, finally, as if sense hit her like a brick, she screamed and began to run towards her destination.

He smirked, it had been a while since he had last attacked anyone, and his claws were just _paawsssitively_ itching to sink themselves into someone.

Slowly, sickeningly, he began to smile evilly and once his boots hit the ground he hurtled off towards her, she was almost inside the bakery, but he was gaining on her, he could possibly just make it…

But luck was never on his side. She slipped in and just as he was about to dart in after her, a pan came down, with a hard swing on his face, he could instantly tell his nose was broken.

Growling as he clutched his nose and stumbled away from the entrance in pain, he looked up for a second to see a bluenette hastily locking a sturdy gate, before stepping back and locking the next one, and then the last. Three gates, one in front of the other, just to keep criminals like him out.

For a moment he was stunned at her beauty. Something about her…

So damn alluring…

He licked his bottom lip.

She glanced up, he blue eyes meeting his green eyes. Her eyes held not an inkling of fear. He inhaled sharply as her brows creased when she looked at him, completely unfazed by his curled back lips, his stance, or his claws.

She proceeded to hit the lockdown button, a necessity in Paris now. The barred gates came down quickly.

He stared at her, cracking his nose back into place, she regarded him with a frown. He didn't like that look. That look that seemed to say, ' _you don't scare me.'_

She picked up her pan from the floor and stepped back as yet another gate fell. The red head ran up to her from behind, and hugged her, finally making the bluenette look away from him.

He backed up. Snarling. Conniving little princess…

Thought she was being clever, hitting him with that damned pot, and worse too, on his face.

Just how would he explain the bruise to his father? His father, who had no idea he was one of the villains responsible for the state Paris was currently in.

Oh she would pay for this. He thought of all the ways he could destroy her for the little stint she just pulled. A grin began to inch onto his immaculate features, but it fell when he felt a twinge of curiosity.

Who was this young lady? She couldn't be older than 18.

He was 18 too.

Leaping onto a rooftop, he nonchalantly removed any remaining traces of blood from his face.

She had fought back without hesitation.

How…

Interesting.

How…strange?

Normally, anyone he attacked just begged for mercy. Though to be fair, he was attacking her friend and not her. That made her even more interesting…

She had just hit Paris's greatest villain, fearlessly, without hesitation, to save her friend who was bringing the danger right towards her home. What's more, was that look…She was not afraid of him. She didn't cower. She stared back.

He didn't know if that made her brave or just plain stupid.

He smirked, oh this was going to be fun.

He would be finding out every detail about the blue-eyed princess. He licked his lips again. A raindrop hit his shoulder.

He broke into a run towards his mansion. Just how, and when, would he get to her?

And how would he punish her when he got her?

He had always considered himself a _gentleman_ in most regards. He had never raped anyone, but he had scratched one or two who got on his nerves pretty badly.

Like Chloe Bourgeois. That… _thing_ had it coming.

Always bossing his civilian self around.

Touching him, further shoving him into the cage that he already resided in.

A friend? Ha, that's laughable. A friend does not use you for sexual gratification. A friend does not blackmail you. She, was filth.

Yet she was the closest thing to a friend he had.

And he hated that. He hated her. He hated being around her with her overly expensive smelling perfumes, and her whining. If he could he would never ever go back to her penthouse.

However, he had appearances to uphold. Purrfect prince. Always obedient. So sweet, so kind, so sickeningly noble.

He slipped into his room through his window. His father was not home, nor did he expect him to be. Typical of him to not be here.

He walked over to his bed, releasing his transformation.

Plagg fell onto the bed.

He stared at Adrien who averted his gaze and walked to the fridge, pulling out some camembert and placing it next to the kwami.

Plagg looked at him.

"Kid." He started with a sigh.

Adrien didn't respond, Plagg gave him the same talk, every day, every time he transformed.

"Have you changed your mind yet?" He asked as usual.

Adrien shook his head.

He never changed his mind, he liked causing pain. GOOD.

They deserved it, they deserved the pain! They deserved bad luck! Why should he be stuck with it, why should they not feel awful?!

He was not going to just become a good guy like Plagg wanted, he wasn't just going to make their lives easier. Savages.

Humans we're savages. They only cared about themselves, but they would call you up when they needed something. Sex, a photo shoot, a quote, but a night of just laughter and care and no ulterior motive?

Did that even exist?

He snarled. Of course it didn't.

But somehow he found his mind reeling, pulling him back to the moment outside the bakery. That young lady. What was her motive for saving her friend?

Did they have a mutualistic relationship?

He frowned. That girl. There was just something about her. Something so enticing…

He couldn't begin to describe it.

What was it?

Who was she…Oh he was going to find out. And when he did, she had better hope she still had that damned pan to protect herself.

 **A/N:Heee hee, enjoyed? Hope you did, more to come soon! Review, it makes me happy, lol and a happy author means a sooner update…**

 **Lol, just review, I'd appreciate some feedback. Questions are ALWAYS welcome.**

 **XOXO**

 **Ra Ra**


	2. Chloroform

**A/N: Hey guys, how are you?**

 **Anyways I just thought you should know that this story would be told mostly from the viewpoint of Adrian/Chat,okay?**

 **However, for the progression of the story, scenes of Marinettes life will be used for better understanding,I mean,who doesn't want to know her thoughts on all of this!**

 **And noooow,Chat will be meeting Marinetteeeeee!**

…

A week had passed since their little encounter, and it seemed the little minx was more interesting than he previously thought.

After that fated evening, he took to stalking her around, quite stealthily he must say as she never noticed.

On the first day of his … research… he watched her hurriedly make her way to a fabric store, gushing to the man over the counter about something, the man smiled back, seemingly well acquainted with the bluenette.

Chat tilted his head in slight amusement as he watched her run into the store childishly, grabbing a whole lot of fabric. "A designer." He mused out loud.

She left the store and trotted home.

On the second day, he watched her go out for ice-cream with the redhead. This girl however seemed better equipped to realise that someone was watching them. She kept glancing around, her cautious eyes darting over the rooftops in search of the black clad villain.

The bluenette just shrugged and happily licked her ice-cream, crying out painfully when the pistachio ice-cream fell to the floor with a splat.

He chuckled. What a baby.

On the third day she never left her house.

On the fourth, she didn't either.

On the fifth day he began to wonder if she had possibly died in the house as she still hadn't emerged, what made it even stranger was that her parents were leaving the house with big suitcases.

He wondered vaguely if they had gone bad and killed her…

On the sixth day, well, that was when he became especially intrigued. That morning he had sat on a close-by rooftop, watching her front door when suddenly, she came out looking utterly determined.

On closer inspection she also looked completely sleep deprived.

He frowned, just what was keeping _her_ awake during the night?

His eyes narrowed as he watched her make her way out.

She was clutching her iPad, a large garment bag and a sketchbook.

After a few moments, she began to walk, and after ten minutes, realisation dawned on his face. She was going to Gabriel Agreste's house. His mansion.

He raised a brow as he quietly followed her. When she finally got to the gate, she stilled.

Chat cocked his head.

'Press the button, princess.' he thought, but she just stood there.

Her finger shook as she lifted it to the button, but she suddenly drew her hand back.

"I can't do this." She said out loud, shaking her head and stepping backwards.

"Yes you can!" A girl's voice said.

Chat's head whipped around.

How the _hell_ had he not noticed a group of young adults had arrived at his front gate?

"I-I…but…It's Mr. G. Agreste-he-he's…Scary!" She whined.

His eyes widened.

Scary? She found his _father_ scary but she didn't even flinch at the sight of him?

The group cheered, "You can do this Marinette!"

"Come on girl!" The redhead cheered.

"Marinette! Marinette! Marinette!"They all began to cheer.

Chat's frowned deepened.

Was this a mob? No,it couldn't be, those were violent. What was this?A gathering? A reunion?

Was this…Support? Were these people her…friends?

It was such a strange idea but he had no other explanation for the situation. He had never seen much of the outside world up until he graduated, and his tertiary studies were all done at a private institute much earlier than the average teenager, he was completely done with his education but his father requested that he not work for a while. He had never made friends. This concept of unconditionally supporting someone made his brain hurt.

"Okay I'll do it." She said with a gentle smile at her _friends._

She pressed the button. Nothing happened. She frowned and pressed it again.

Chat frowned, why wasn't anyone- _Oh shit nobody was home._

He quickly detransformed at the bush he hid behind, and casually walked up to the gate.

The group did not notice him at first, but then a timid looking girl who smelled like roses squeaked and alerted them to his civilian form.

He continued walking till he was at the gate, next to the bluenette who's eyes widened,recognizing the model.

"Urm-errr-You nice to meet,sir!"She fumbled out, and he couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped his mouth.

So she was a stuttering young designer who was brave enough to hit a villain with a pan yet had no courage to push a button or make coherent sentences.

"Hello, I'm Adrien Agreste."He said, extending a hand.

Stutter again, princess. Stutter.

But she didn't. She just glanced down at his hand, and back to his face.

"Marinette, Marinette Dupain-Cheng." She said, her hand slipping into his hand, giving it a firm but oh so gentle squeeze.

He would be lying if he said he didn't feel a little flutter in his chest at how gentle her voice was, he'd be lying if he said that he didn't feel sparks when her hand touched his in her ever so gentle way.

He blinked as she extracted her hand. She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes, and when she opened it, he almost gasped.

There it was. That look again.

' _I'm not scared.'_ It seemed to say.

"Hello , it's great to meet you, I just wanted to know, is your father home?" She asked, confidently.

Adrien cocked his head.

"No. No,he's not."He said, silkily.

Her face seemed to fall.

"Oh…I'll come back another time."She said.

He shook his head, "If you need me to pass something on, I gladly will." He said, watching her face.

"Oh that would be great!" She said,handing him the sketchpad, and the garment with a letter. She beamed at him.

"Thank you sir!" She said happily.

"Adrien." He said.

She smiled. "Well,thank you,Adrien."She said,with a little curtsy.

The way she said his name. His ordinary name. It made his name sound so brilliant.

"You're welcome, my lady." He found himself saying.

She waved at him as she made her way to her cheering group of friends. A smile almost crept onto his face.

Almost.

For at that moment,a red haired man, with cerulean blue eyes ran up to her, hugging her tightly and spinning her around, she laughed and lightly smacked his arm as he put her down.

Adrien snarled. Now what was that little display?

He seethed, as the group walked away.

Looks like his research time would be cut short. She would be coming face to face with Chat Noir pretty soon.

His eyes flickered to the red haired man.

And that damn tomato head would be too.

…

And now it was day seven. Four in the afternoon, almost crime time. Marinette was at the park. Alone. In her hand she had a sketchbook, and she seemed to be sketching a ballgown, but for some reason it just wasn't coming together the way she wanted.

Sighing, she walked into town, oblivious to the green eyes trailing her every movement.

Chat jumped down, careful to remain hidden in corners and shadows.

Marinette walked slowly, through the winding streets, occasionally looking up at shops and billboards.

As she walked, she also remained oblivious to the looks of the young men on the streets, who drank in her figure greedily with their carnal eyes. Chat however, saw it clearly, and suddenly, he couldn't take it anymore.

When she turned the next corner, he grabbed her, pulling her off into an alley.

She was about to scream when his clawed hand fixed itself over her mouth.

"Well look what the _Chat_ dragged in." He said, and he heard her gag at his pun.

He spun her around so that her back was pinned to the wall, one hand covered her mouth while the other held her arms above her head.

The alley was getting darker, it must have been around half past four now. Her eyes widened as she realised who it was.

He grinned cynically.

"Well if it isn't Miss-Let-me-hit-a-villain-with-a-pan." He said, his face dangerously close to hers.

Her eyes flicked to his nose, it had completely healed. "What's the matter, _Chat_ got your tongue?" He taunted, tilting his head.

Her brows furrowed. Still no fear. More like…Steely anger.

Her nostrils flared as she glared at him.

Her eyes darted around the alley. One thing she prided herself in, was her uncanny ability to make use of anything around her to her own benefit.

She took a moment to glance down, at his legs, slightly apart, it seemed he had not thought about the fact that though he was a villain he was still male.

She glanced behind him noting the large barrel and the small puddle of water.

She looked at him.

He stared back at her, transfixed.

"Where's your pot now, princess? Where's your friends, hmmm?" He sneered, his breath hot on her face, she caught the scent of what seemed like a combination of mint and expensive chocolate.

"What, no boyfriend to save you?" He said, eyes flashing at the thought of the red headed boy.

With a look of firm resolve in her eyes, she brought her knee up sharply. He only had a second to realise what was happening before and exploding pain shot through his nether regions, forcing an agonised scream out of him, he fell to his knees, howling and she pulled out her pepperspray.

He looked up at her, his eyes red with pain.

"You! I'm going to get you for that." He said beginning to stand, teeth bared, ears flattened.

Oh, no she was not going to risk that. She pressed the nozzle, and the spray went directly into his eyes. He screamed even louder now, clawing at his eyes, he was stumbling backwards towards that puddle. She quickly made her way around him and pulled the barrel so that it lay just behind the muddy puddle. Chat continued stepping backwards unaware of where he was going when suddenly he felt himself slip on something and fall into what seemed to be a barrel.

"I don't need a boyfriend Chat Noir. I can take care of myself." He heard her say before she ran off.

He just lay there, uncomfortably. Everything hurt. She was a demon. How could someone so small just…destroy him?

Him, the most dangerous criminal in all of Paris.

What the hell was this? It was almost too easy for her.

No, he wouldn't be waiting another week, he would be getting her back for what she did, and would get her back tonight.

It took another hour before the pain mostly subsided.

Finally he exited the alley. It was dark out now. He fixed his eyes in the direction of the bakery.

So feisty. He had to admit, it was such a turn on. Shaking his head, he leapt up to her window. It was barred.

He smirked. It was so cute that the citizens had no idea that their protection was useless against his Cataclysm.

"Cataclysm." He touched his hand to the guarded window, and the bars turned to dust, falling away silently. He leapt to another roof, and dropped his transformation.

Plagg looked up.

"Don't hurt Marinette." He said. Adrien regarded him for a moment.

He gave Plagg some cheese. The hungry kwami looked at the cheese, but then turned away.

"No." Plagg said.

Adrien frowned.

"No?"

The kwami's tummy growled.

He looked at Adrien. "What has she ever done to you that you want to attack her in her own home?"

"Do I need to make a list?" He asked the kwami in annoyance.

The kwami fell through the air out of exhaustion and hunger, Adrien caught him and held out the Camembert to him, he reluctantly ate the cheese.

"Marinette is different. Trust me. I can tell."

Suddenly there was a loud ,ear-piercing scream.

Plagg gulped the cheese down, energised.

Adrien's eyes darted to the bakery, that's where the scream came from. His eyes widened.

"Plagg, transform me!" He all but hissed before taking off in the direction of the bakery as Chat Noir.

Her window was slid open and it didn't take a genius to realise that someone had gotten in.

He snarled as he slipped in through the window. There, at the centre of the room stood a man, Marinette stood against the wall, her pan in her hand.

He glanced briefly at the trapdoor that lead up to this room, noting that for some reason a lock was on it, and it seemed that Marinette wasn't the one who put it there.

"Get lost Chat Noir, I was here first." The man said, and Chat recognized him as one of the young men who stared at Marinette on the street.

Chat snorted.

"Oh shut up, I was here ten minutes ago. You wouldn't have got in if I hadn't cataclysm-ed her guards.

Marinette's eyes darted around her room. There must be some way to escape. Her vision blurred for a second. The man who got in had tried to knock her out with chloroform, he hadn't gotten far as she had pushed him and ran, but she did get a whiff of the chemical, and she felt dizzy.

She was scared. This couldn't be happening, her parents were not home. Two criminals were in her room, a room she was trapped in. She couldn't formulate a plan. She couldn't think. This couldn't be happening. This could not be happening.

She had just been drifting into a sound sleep five minutes ago, she had no idea that someone was in her room, locking the trapdoor, she only realized someone was there when she saw the faint shadow inching ever closer to her bed.

And now here she was. Vulnerable. So utterly and undeniably alone.

"Yes but you left the place. Tell you what,50/50,what do you say?" The man said.

"50/50 you say?" Chat said, as if testing the idea on his tongue.

"Yes, you hold her down first, and then when it's your turn I hold her down, and we continue in that manner." The man explained.

"So you mean we share?" Chat said with a wry smile.

Marinette's eyes widened and fat tears threatened to fall.

"Yes, no harm in pals sharing something so fine." The man said.

Chat hummed, taking in the dazed appearance of the girl, her eyes seemed…desperate.

"Well, I can tell you know that she had this coming to her for a long time, she got me with that very pan, right on my face, and she ruffed me up pretty badly today." He said, smirking, he turned to Marinette who had paled.

"What do you say princess, ready to accept your punishment for being a bad, bad girl? "He purred.

Marinette choked. Chat's eyes flashed.

"Oh she looks ready to be punished." The man said, looking at her in a filthy manner.

"Mmmm." Chat said, turning to the man. Both of them were the same height, very tall.

"You're right when you say she's fine." Chat said.

The man nodded excitedly.

"But you see, the way I was brought up, when I see something that's that fine, it in turn becomes all mine, and I don't plan on starting to _share_ anything that's mine any time soon." He purred out.

He smirked as shock began to leak into the man's features.

The man jumped back as Chat brought his hand down to scratch him but Chats tail wrapped around the man's leg and yanked him, making him fall to the floor. Taking the opportunity, Chat grabbed the man's head, slamming it repeatedly into the ground.

Marinette whined as she saw blood on the floor.

"Quiet you!" Chat hissed.

The man grabbed Chat's hand, and he pulled him down. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a medium sized bottle of chloroform. Chat saw it and slammed the man's hand onto the floor. The man used this opportunity to slip his hand into his other pocket, conjuring up the chloroformed hanky. Chat noted it and decided to play along. So he held his breath, and when the man pressed it up to his face. He pretended to fall unconscious. The man shoved Chat's body off and stood.

He looked at Marinette who was in a dazed stupor.

He grinned.

"I can't wait to tear you ,you won't walk again when I'm done with you." He said walking towards her, like she was prey.

Chat stood.

"Now is that any way to talk to a lady?" He asked an the man spun around, only to be hit, square on the nose with a baton.

He shrieked and stumbled back.

"Who knew I'd learn something from you, princess." He murmured to himself.

The man charged at Chat who punched him, hard. And he didn't stop, he kept hitting him. The man threw his arms around wildly, missing Chat every time.

Chat eventually got annoyed and grabbed the man's arm, twisting it into an awkward position, about to snap it.

"DON'T!" Marinette shrieked.

Chat looked up.

"Don't think you're off the hook either princess!" He hissed.

"Stop you're going to break it!" She shouted.

"I think that was the point." He snarled.

"He will be in more pain…"

"Silly woman, do you want him to rape you?" He asked in annoyance.

The man reached out with his free arm to the little bottle of Chloroform that was almost empty, but had just enough to knock a grown man out. The cat and the girl had no clue due to their bickering.

Marinette glanced down and saw the man reach for something.

"CHAT LOOK OUT!" She shouted, too late.

The man smashed the chloroform bottle into Chat's unsuspecting face.

The effect was immediate. His eyes glossed over and he wobbled.

The man flipped them over onto the floor and proceeded to punch him, like a mad man.

Marinette was frightened. She looked at Chat's now bleeding face.

She still felt dizzy, but she stood, and crept up to the unsuspecting man, and with a sort of battle cry, she brought the pan down firmly on his head.

With a loud thonk, the man slumped unconscious on the Chat. (A/N: Yes I'm trying to be punny).

Marinette scrambled back to the wall ,sliding down it ,breathing heavily.

Chat stood up, almost as if he were a corpse. He picked up the man and walked with him towards the window before dropping him, heartlessly onto the tarp below. The man hit the tarp and rolled a bit before falling to ground level. He was not dead though.

Chat turned to look at Marinette through his hazy eyes. He walked towards her, with less swagger than usual, and he fell to his knees right in front of her.

Her breaths came out heavy, and strangled. His were none the better.

He tilted his head up and looked at her,his clawed hand resting on the wall beside her head.

"Silly princess. So selfless. It's so…pathetic." He said before his head fell on her shoulder in exhaustion.

She gulped. This was _not_ the position that a villain and a citizen should be in. She was quiet for a moment.

But…Perhaps this was the position that the villain-who just saved her life-and herself could be in.

His breaths were getting slower, so were hers, she couldn't fight the chloroform anymore.

Ever so slowly, she placed a delicate hand into his hair.

"Thank you for helping me…Even after today." She said, her fingers wafting into his hair.

She did not expect him to snuggle deeper into her.

"…You're…Still…Not off the…hook…I'll…get you…"He said exhaustedly, trying to get up so that he can carry out his plot of revenge.

But…

It was so comfortable there in her arms, with her hand in his hair, his ear on her pulse, and her smell of cherry-blossoms invading his nose, clouding his judgment and annihilating rationality.

His hand slid down the wall and rested on her leg,weakly.

"…Later…"He finished, before they both fell asleep.

 **A/N:Weeeeeelllllll! I had fun writing this,hee hee, and so the plot can finally begin!**

 **Wow guys I'm so thankful for all the amazing reviews, and the follows and to mention the fact that some of my favourite authors were among those reviews and faves!**

 **Dammnnnnn! You really made me feel loved, this chapter was actually going to be posted later this week but the reviews got me so impatient that I couldn't wait any longer to post!**

 **Thank you again,please review and tell me what you thought of this,lol!**

 **Anyway, I have my besties Karate banquet to go to at 5, so I best be going to the bathroom.**

 **Don't forget to review!**

 **XOXO**

 **Ra Ra**


	3. Proud

**A/N:Hey guys!Thanks for the amazing reviews.**

 **It made me feel so appreciated.I have my final paper on Monday...Then I'm done with school...**

 **Is it bad to feel nervous?**

 **A** **nyway, enjoy this chapter!**

 **OH PLEASE NOTE, when I uploaded this chapter, I proofread it, but now my account is doing that shitty thing where it removes sentences and letters/words. It's damn infuriating.**

 **Does anyone else experience this?How do I fix it?**

Chat woke up, with a strange and utterly annoying pang on the side of his head. He groaned, shifting slightly. He snuggled closer to the being that enveloped him in comfortable warmth.

Suddenly his eyes snapped open and he looked up to find that he was staring up at Marinette's sleeping face. He was in between her legs, his head on her chest. Her arms were wound him possessively. It seemed they had both shifted in their sleep.

He blinked. Quietly, he extracted himself from her hold, frowning at the loss of warmth.

He ran a clawed hand through his hair, sighing. This was dangerous. Attachments were dangerous. Not that he would know, but from the books he's read it always ended up in someone being heartbroken or someone else sacrificing themselves. He shook his head.

He wasn't getting attached. This was just a means of entertainment.

He stood up. Gazing down at his dark haired princess. Tilting his head, he took in the delicate expression she wore on her face. It was so…ethereal. He couldn't help but crouch down and examine the princess just a little longer.

He traced the lines of her face with a finger, down her jaw, slowly across her lips, up to her eyelashes and down her nose. He groaned, this was getting too weird. But that didn't stop him from picking her up gently and hopping up to her loft bed and tucking her in. He looked again at her, and almost smiled in adoration but forced himself to hold it back.

His eyes wondered to the gigantic cat plush behind her regular pillow, and he smirked. With one last glance at her peaceful face, he made his way out the window. After quietly drawing the curtain and closing the window, he dropped down to the sidewalk, noticing the man from last night still fast asleep. Half of the chloroform had dripped onto the man's face last night after he bust the bottle of Chat's head. It wasn't much, but that, coupled with Marinette's pot, was a recipe for exhaustion and deep slumber.

He grinned evilly.

Stooping low and picking the man up, he threw him over his shoulder. It was around 6 a.m. and there were not many people out as yet.

He casually walked to the police station, whistling a tune, enjoying the cool morning. Once he was at the station, he entered gleefully through the sliding doors, enjoying the looks of horror on some of the men's faces.

He swiftly shifted the man from his shoulder and held him in a choke-hold, a claw poking into the tender skin near the man's jugular vein.

"I'd just like to commend you all on your brilliant work."He smiled cynically. Some of the men were slowly taking out guns.

"This man had attempted to rape someone last night, and had I not intervened he would have succeeded .Aren't you supposed to prevent that kind of thing?"He asked casually.

They aimed their guns at him. "Why should we believe you? Why would you save anyone?"Sabrina's dad asked.

Chat smirked. "Oh, I'm not here to make you believe me,frankly,I couldn't give a damn about what you or anyone else thinks of me."he starts.

"But you know that already,don't you? Nevertheless, what I say is I wouldn't care for it would be none of my business, but the victim is someone that seemed too young and beautiful to be tainted by such villainy."He said.

Chat's claw glided along the man's neck,slowly slicing certain areas but dancing around his life vein. The man seemed to slowly emerge from his slumber. He shrieked.

"Ahhhh, finally awake Sleeping Beauty?"Chat mocked.

The man's eyes darted around.

"Well, why don't you tell us how you got into such a deep sleep,hmmm?"Chat said.

That man looked around, his young eyes looked panicked.

"I didn't-"He start.

" _Don't lie!"_ Chat hissed,his entire hand moving to hold the man's face,his claws digging into the pale skin.

The man looked around, and gulped.

"Chat Noir, release him or we'll shoot!" Sabrina's father said.

Chat's tail flicked.

"Shoot and he dies."Chat smiled,pressing a claw so the man's vein once more.

"Now, he was saying,SSSPEAKKK !"He hissed at the man.

"I-I was trying to attack a girl."He stuttered.

The police force gazed on in shock.

Never had a criminal actually confessed to a crime in front of their eyes. Information such as this was normally obtained through wires and hidden recorders.

"Andddddd?"Chat crooned.

"I was going to r-rape her."

"And what were your words?"Chat asked.

"L-let's sh-share."

"And what did you say to her?"Chat asked.

"I-I'm going to tear you."

"And will you say anything about my action's last night?"He asked, leaning down to the man's ear and whispering the last question.

"N-no!"The man said.

"Puuurrrrrfecttttt."Chat purred.

He looked at the stunned faces around him that stared at the man.

The young man was not an unfamiliar face. He was the Forensic scientist in the police department…They knew him. Hearing him admit to his crime was chilling.

They paled and wondered who had been the victim.

"The victim will come identify him tomorrow. She will answer questions. And if I find out that you ask her anything about me,anything at all, clawed faces in Paris will be a thing of the past, corpses will be the new norm.

Do NOT put it past me to slit her throat, I would do it in a heartbeat,I wouldn't intervene anyone else from killing her, but I just don't find any pleasure in witnessing rape, bodies will start piling,I mean it. I have ears and eyes everywhere.I know _everything_ that goes on in Paris."he paused.

"Do you understand?"He asked.

Slowly they nodded.

In a fluid movement he released his hold on the man,he slashed the man's left cheek and quickly darted from the station, leaving the police to contend with the howling young man.

He smirked as he bounded across the rooftops. Oh he loved causing pain.

If it was not exhilarating then he had no other word for it.

Finally,upon reaching Agreste Manor, he stepped into his room and detransformed.

Plagg fell onto the bed.

"Why did you do that, now the police will think she has some affiliation to you!Kid this would put your identity in jeopardy." He said.

"Relax Plagg,I have a plan."Adrien said, beginning to remove his shirt.

Plagg sighed.

Adrien's plans were a lot like Master Fu's in the sense that they always worked out beneficially, but he couldn't help but smirk a little at the amount of thought that Adrien was putting into this case for the sake of that girl.

"Oh,and well done kid."Plagg said, biting a piece of his Camembert wheel.

"What for?"Adrien asked,turning on the shower.

"Well, first you saved Marinette from a rapist—that's regardless of the fact that she wouldn't have needed saving if you didn't destroy her guards... then you had the opportunity to attack her this morning and you didn't, to top it off you took the bad guy to the police."Plagg said.

Adrien scratched his neck. "I didn't want her to be _raped._ I didn't attack her this morning because, I –uh…"

"Thought she looked cute? 'Oh princess!Mwah mwah!'"Plagg said teasingly.

Adrien blanched. "NO!Urm its just, when I get my revenge I want her to be awake to remember !"Adrien said,huffing with finality.

"So you don't like her as a _Lady-friend?"_ Plagg asked.

"NO!I don't like people!"Adrien hissed getting into the shower,water trickled down his toned body.

" And princesses?" Plagg asked,sitting on the shower head.

"Plagg shut up!"Adrien groaned.

Plagg chuckled.

"And taking the guy to the station?"

Adrien was quiet for a moment.

"I honestly don't know.I just wanted the guy in jail."He finally said.

Plagg was quiet.

"Adrien…I'm proud of you,what you did last night and this morning was really great."Plagg said.

Adrien stared in shock up at the kwami.

"You're…proud…of me?" He asked in awe.

"Mmm."The kwami hummed, not used to saying such…affectionate things.

Adrien just continued to stare at Plagg. As far as he could remember the last time someone had been proud of him was when he was 8,when his mum was around. And he could barely even remember her all that well.

He gulped the sad feeling in his throat back down.

Glancing back up at the kwami, he smiled slowly,albeit sadly.

"Plagg."

"Whaaat?"Plagg groaned.

"I'm not a good person. Don't be proud of me."Adrien said,resting his forearm on a wall and leaning against it.

"Listen kid.I'll admit you suck at times. More often than not I have a good mind to fly back to the guardian so that all this violence won't happen. I'm aware how many lives you almost destroy every day.I see how you like causing fear.I see that excited look when you cause pain.I am not proud of the things you do sometimes.I'm not… But who you are is not what you did,or still do…Doing bad things doesn't make you a bad person just like how doing good things doesn't make you a saint...You're just a lost little kid who thinks he knows what he's doing...sooner or later something will bite you in the ass and everything will change."

"Bite me in the ass?"

"Yes in the ASS. Now shut up because you're making me sentimental. It's disgusting."

"…It's kind of sweet."Adrien murmured.

"Die!" Plagg yelled flying into Adrien's hair and yanking it around.

Adrien laughed lightly.

"You know today is the first time I've actually had a proper conversation with you."Adrien mused.

"That's because you done good,kid." Plagg said.

Adrien hummed.

"But Marinette's window has no guards." Plagg said.

"I'm not a hero...Why should I care?I don't care in fact."Adrien said with an agitated pout.

"We know that,but I'm just saying,her boyfriend could probably sneak in tonight." Plagg says casually.

Adrien's eyes narrowed at Plagg.

"What are you getting at?"he says slowly.

"Nothing, nothing.I'm just saying- _since you don't know much about relationships_ \- humans males tend to try and meet up with their lady friends at night so that they can do things together."

"What things?"Adrien asks.

Plagg gives him a pointed look.

"The thing Chloe makes you do you moron." Plagg says.

Adrien's eyes widen.

"They're going to have _sex?"_ He asks incredulously.

Plagg nods. Oh, it's working. Riling up Adrien was such fun.

Adrien steps out of the shower.

"NO, she wouldn't...She's-no-yeah no." He argues with himself.

He turns to Plagg. "Wait why should I care what she does?"Adrien huffs.

"Oh, you're right, why should you? Nevermind then, I guess you did another heroic deed, you saved a human man from having to resort to his hand and a mental image."

Adrien's eyes darted up from his clothes.

"But Marinette is innocent, she wouldn't … do that..."

"Kid, that's what they all say. The innocent looking ones are the _worst._ You looked innocent."

"Good point. Well, her fun is going to be ruined anyway because I have to discuss with her the stuff she's allowed to say tomorrow." Adrien says.

Plagg looks pointedly at him but says nothing.

"It's not because of what you think." Adrien says when hears Plagg's snicker.

That evening he transforms and watches her room window. Her lights are on and she stands by the window looking worried. Her blue eyes dart around, as if she's expecting someone to attack her. He chuckles.

Slowly she steps away from the window and then he sees her trying to push a large wardrobe in front of it. His eyes widen. Well, shit. He still has to talk to her. He darts across the rooftop and just as the gap into her room through her window closes due to the wardrobe being pushed in front, he slips into her room.

At first she doesn't notice him, her eyes are closed as she pushes the heavy wardrobe.

"Come on, move!" She groans. Taking pity on her for some reason he slides behind her silently and with one arm he pushes the wardrobe forward.

She thinks it was her own strength, and she opens her eyes and pokes her biceps.

"Nice muscles." He whispers and he smirks as she freezes. Spinning around, she begins to scream.

"No!Shhhh shhh shhh shh!"He hushes, clamping a hand over her mouth. She glares at him.

"I just want to talk. How cruel, I would've thought after yesterday you'd trust me more princess." He says. Her eyes flash in guilt. He removes his hand when he's certain she won't scream.

She blinks up at him. Unsure of what to say to the criminal.

"Hello." she says, with a wave.

"Hello, princess." He says.

Suddenly there's a loud clap of thunder and rain begins the fall heavily.

"You know, you should've closed the window before pushing the wardrobe in front." he says easily moving her wardrobe to correct her mistake.

She blanches, uneasy at the idea of having the notorious Chat Noir in her room.

He senses her unease and he stares down at her.

"Relax. I'm not going to hurt you, at least not _now._ "

She looks at him with wide-eyes.

"I'd assumed your boyfriend would be showing up. Where is he?" He asked.

"I told you I don't have a-"

Her phone chooses that opportune moment to ring. She freezes at the sound and chat walks over to it, noticing the caller I.D., the name Nathaniel, and a cute picture of her and the red haired guy in a tight hug.

"You were saying?" He says, pursing his lips, and raising a brow.

Oh he'd really love to know how she'd get out of this one.

 **A/N:Not much but the plot will start to thicken from hereon out.**

 **Oh and again thank you for the reviews, follows and faves!**

 **Please review this chapter!Thank you so much for reading.**

 **Anyway,I got an Afrikaans essay to memorize,bye bye!**

 **XOXO**

 **Ra Ra**


	4. Unrealistic

Time seemed to slow down for a moment. Chat's eyes narrowed at Marinette. Marinette stared at the cellphone in Chat's hand.

Chat kept his eyes fixed on her face.

He had no idea why he was feeling this upset. This girl…Well he knew almost nothing about her.

He didn't understand why he felt that small pang in his gut, and he couldn't comprehend why he felt the urge to find this Nathaniel boy and rip his throat out.

But that's precisely what he wanted to do.

He wanted to make the red head writhe in pain. He wanted to end him. He wanted him to be far, far away from Marinette. Maybe ten feet under…

"Give that back! It's MINE!" She huffed.

"I can think of a lot of things that are _mine_ too, princess." He said coyly.

"Char Noir I really need to take that phone call, please it's important!" She said exasperatedly.

Chat raised a brow at her as she jumped up,trying to grab her phone.

"What could be so important that you would be willing to take the call in front of a supervillain?"

"Geez I don't know, perhaps new guards for my window?"

Chat raised a brow.

"Why does that involve flame-head over here?"

"His cousin is a woodcutter, the only one in Paris with a decent price.I'm going to have to nail it over my window because _you_ broke them,and if my parents find out that I'm purchasing metal guards for an obscene amount of money they're going to come home to see if something is wrong which means that I ruined their wedding anniversary trip and they're going to come back a month early from Thailand and everything will be ruined!..And he's not a flame head you stray."

The phone continued to ring insistently.

Chat looked at the phone in annoyance.

He swiped the screen, rejecting the call.

Marinette groaned. "What the heck!"She yelled, infuriated.

Chat suddenly trapped her between his body and the wall.

"Now however would I get in if you planked your windows up?" He asked, tilting her head up.

"I think the point is that you _don't_ get in." She said curtly, feeling his muscles on her chest.

"Awww how cute,princess is mad that I rejected her boyfriend's call."He mocked.

She pursed her rosy lips,and his eyes flickered to them for the slightest second before he caught himself.

"Why are you here?"She asked.

"Meowch,is my presence unwanted?"

"Yes,it isn't."

"That's a shame, 'cause I'm not going anywhere.A whole month without adults?Sounds like kitty paradise."He smirked.

Marinette's eyes narrowed. "I wasn't inviting you here."

"And I wasn't asking for your permission." He purred out pushing away from the wall.

Marinette frowned at him.

"I take it you realise that you're going to have to identify the man who attempted to rape you yesterday night."He said and she flinched at the words, after a while she nodded.

"Good, so when you go there you're only allowed to say certain things. Sit." He said, suddenly grabbing her hand and pulling her over to her chaise.

"One, you will tell the full truth, except the part about me removing your guards-"

"Why?" She interrupted.

"Because then you would have new guards fitted. And then I can't get in."

"And why don't we want that?" She asked.

"Because then if you lock me out I will just cataclysm them again, or I could attack your friends. So you say he snuck in through your open trapdoor." She blinked, and huffed.

"Then you also tell them that we haven't spoken and we haven't had any contact with each other after the incident." He continued.

"Why?"

"Because they'll stakeout the place if you said you did and that wouldn't be very pleasant." Chat said pointedly, Marinette nodded dumbly.

"When giving the account, you say chloroform does not work on me."

"But that guy could state otherwise-"

"I'll deal with him." He said with an elegant wave of a hand before continuing.

"Then if they ask any questions about me, say that you don't know anything about me at all."

" I really don't know anything." She said with a shrug.

Chat turned to her, pausing from his pacing. He was quiet for a moment, lost in his thoughts. He closed his eyes, exhaled, and let a slow and heartbreakingly sad smile slip onto his face.

"There really isn't anything worth knowing."

Marinette couldn't help help herself.

She understood that Chat Noir was a insufferable, annoying, creepy yet sometimes helpful villain. She expected him to be obnoxiously full of himself.

…but…

For one to acknowledge themselves as something not worth knowing, well, that meant that perhaps Chat was just like everyone else; insecure.

This meant that- like the rest of us- he was vulnerable and utterly human.

And sad.

"Why do you think that?" She blurted.

Chat paused again.

"Why do you ask so many 'Why' questions?" He asked, tilting his head.

"Why are _you_ avoiding the question?"She asked,crossing her arms.

"Why are you so curious?"He asked,crossing his arms too.

"Why can't you give a straightforward answer?"

"Because there is no straightforward answer to it?"He said plainly.

"I don't understand." She said.

He stared at her.

"You must be incredibly dumb or extremely brave to try and get a conversation about myself out of me. I'm a sick person, that's all you need to know."He said.

"What extent of sick, you mean like demented?"

Chat blinked at her.

"You ask a lot of questions, princess. You do know that curiosity killed the cat?" He purred out.

"Yes, well… Satisfaction brought it back didn't it?"

Chat pursed his lips.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing. You want information from me just so you can rat me out to the police." He hissed stooping low to be level with her face.

Marinette blinked.

"No, I don't plan to do that at all. I just wanted to know why you think so lowly of yourself."

Chat's eyes flashed.

"I don't think lowly of myself, I think I'm pretty amazing. "Chat said with a smirk,she could feel his cool breath on her face.

"And how about when you're not in this Chat suit? You can't expect me to believe you're Chat Noir 24/7."

Chat stepped back.

"Listen Princess, I'm just here to tell you what to tell the police. Don't make this visit about me."

"Marinette."

"What?"

"My name is Marinette, not princess."She said, not knowing why she was giving out personal details to a criminal.

"Marinette." He said, testing the name.

She gave him a small smile,and he blinked, wondering if he was imagining that smile.A genuine smile directed at him…

"That's a beautiful name ,my lady." He said, hardly containing the smile that crept onto his ethereal features.

"I'm Chat Noir, but you can call me Chat." He said, picking up her hand and planting a kiss on it, marvelling at its velvety texture

Marinette scratched her neck, and withdrew her hand, her mind going a million miles a minute. Here was a man, who was most certainly no younger than she was, sad and strange. She briefly wondered what triggered the man to become a villain. There was always a reason. Chat Noir must have experienced something that ruined his outlook on life. She couldn't help but feel sorry for him. And something in her felt the need to help him, save him from what he's become.

Suddenly, her phone began to ring in Chat's hand. Chat looked at it and rolled his eyes.

"Persistent boyfriend you got here, princess." He said, glaring at the picture of the two. He watched the phone ring for a moment, and his eyes flickered to Marinette who sat quietly on the chaise, too tired to even banter about Chat calling Nath her boyfriend.

He sighed, cursing his feelings. Slowly, he extended his arm and handed her the phone. She stared at the phone and then at his face in bewilderment. She gently took it from him, and swiped her finger across the screen.

Her heart beat wildly in her chest, and she prayed to God that she didn't regret doing this…

"Hey,Nath?..Yes I'm okay. Uh-huh. Yeah. No no no, actually, I changed my mind…Yeah I urm realised that my wardrobe does the job just I'm not insane...Awww,thank you …Yes, you are the best friend ever,you know that right?I-uh-gotta go!I have to sleep early to bake some stuff for the bakery they're coming back in 32 days, I have to watch the bakery till they get back , I can handle it, they hired an assistant for the days I'm at campus, you too, byeeeeeee."

The call ended and she stared up at the kitty.

"Best friend ever? That's harsh." He said with a chuckle.

"You were saying?" She said, changing the subject.

Chat frowned. "What was your motive for doing that?" he asked.

"Not getting the wood?"

Chat nodded.

Marinette looked to the ground, as if it held an answer. Eventually she looked back at him.

"However will you get in if I do?" She said.

His eyes widened. Her eyes widened. They stared at each other with widened eyes.

"Is that an invitation?" He asked.

"…Perhaps it is."

They were quiet for a moment.

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand, princess. Why would you do something that could possibly endanger your life. What's your reason?"He asked.

But she didn't know. Not only was it stupid and dangerous, but these weird things only ever happened in movies and cartoons. No person in the right state of mind would be so naïve and moronic. However, something inside her was throwing itself towards Chat's cause. She knew there was more to his story than what met her eyes, or anyone's eyes for the matter. She could fix him…Possibly…Maybe…Hopefully? It was a long-shot, but she was always up for a challenge.

"I don't know, perhaps I get bored, and you don't scare me at all." She said.

"And why is that?" He asked coming to crouch in front of her.

"You're just as lost as everyone else…And I always had a soft spot for strays."

He laughed at her side comment, and studied her kind face, it was strange to have someone genuinely look at him like that, with care. Honestly, he liked it very much.

He thought about what she said. It sounded sincere, but he made a mental note to proceed with caution.

"Okay then, Marinette… You've got yourself a stray cat."

She smiled lightly.

"Awesome." She said.

He stood. "You should go to bed." He said.

"What? It's only 8:30!"

"You have to be at the station at 7 a.m sharp." He pointed out and she groaned.

"I have a knack for being late."She said.

"Don't put it past me to drag you by the ankle out of bed tomorrow morning."He said, suddenly picking her up, ignoring her squeak and carrying her to her bed.

Afterwards he jumped down and sat on her chaise.

"Wait, are you going to be staying here? Like in my room?"She asked in horror.

What had she gotten herself into?

"If I leave you can be sure that someone will try to get in. The wardrobe really can't keep criminals out, you know."

She blinked.

He was right. But this was weird.

"Relax, I'm not going to attack you in your sleep." He said, sitting on the chaise daintily.

She blushed and stuck her head underneath the blanket.

"Hey princess, you wouldn't happen to have some Camembert would you?"

"There's a couple of wheels in the kitchen, knock yourself out."

"Wouldn't you like that." He said sarcastically.

Marinette closed her eyes. Her life really did not seem realistic in the slightest. Villains don't just camp with civillians. Civilians don't just offer villains cheese. Everything was so wrong and she didn't know whether to be _frightened_ or _excited_.

"You should be asleep." A feline voice said from above her.

Or asleep.

 **A/N:Whoa guys!I really have no words to describe how happy your reviews have made me.I do read every single one, and I do familiarize myself with the followers and favouriters.I just want to say THANK YOU!**

 **I had a really sad, heartbreaking week,as I said, I finished school this week…It was so hard saying goodbye. Everyone will be going to university and college,different ones, and it hurts that some are going to study abroad and may forget me. I have been so down this week, you have no idea. BUT, your reviews made me feel a whole lot better. It's the cheesy truth,it did.**

 **I came home and actually smiled through my tears. So thank you!**

 **ALRIGHT SO THE QUESTION:** _ **Do Chloe and Adrien have sex?**_

 **Okay thank you for asking, I love questions! Anyway, *drumroll*, yes. She forces him.*hides*. Okay okay before you throw torches hear me out, I don't believe Chloe is actually that evil, in fact deep down I know** _ **I can't hate her,**_ **partly because my younger sisters name is Chloe LOL** _ **.**_ **But there's this scene that I planned between Adrien and her, NO Mari is not going to walk in and get jealous. The scene is going to just show us Adrien's emotional instability and vulnerability,and it is fundamental for that scene to take place. I have thought EXTREMELY far ahead, and I'm really happy with and excited about my plot for this fanfic. Don't hate the story,pweddy please, it has a direction.**

 **REVIEW PLEEEEASSEEEE! And ask as many questions as you like. Till next time!**

 **XOXO**

 **Ra Ra**


	5. Nightmares

After going down to the kitchen and fetching a large slice of Camembert, Chat stealthily made his way back up to Marinette's bedroom. He knew his transformation would hold all night if he didn't use cataclysm. He placed the plate of cheese on her table so that should he need to detransform, Plagg had sufficient sustenance to power up.

Chat ran a hand through his hair.

What to do, what to do…

He had never been in a ladies room before-Chloe wasn't counted.

It was so…dainty? Delicate? What was the word for it?

Pleasant?

Assuring?

…Comforting?

He heard a little shuffle and glanced up to Marinette's bed, taking in the little ball under the blankets, she was muttering to herself.

Quietly, he hopped up.

"You should be asleep."He said calmly, almost teasingly. Marinette poked her head out from under the covers.

"I am."

"You're not."

She huffed.

"Wait Chat, where are you going to sleep?"She asked.

"Why should I sleep?" He asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Don't you have stuff to do during the day tomorrow?" Marinette asked in wonder.

"Not _that_ much. Besides, I'm not here to sleep. I have a job to do." He said.

Marinette yawned, Chat's voice at the moment was so calm, and it was steadily lulling her into a daze.

"You must live a boring life."She mused,not really aware of her words in her drowsy state.

Chat chuckled. "Hardly,princess."He said softly.

Marinette yawned again. "If you do plan on sleeping though, the chaise is super soft,and there are some really soft comforters in the wardrobe." She said.

She yawned once more, eyes bleary with sleepy tears.

"Here I thought you'd invite me to sleep with you." He laughed.

"Never." She said to herself but loud enough for him to hear. He chuckled.

"Alright, that's enough consciousness for you."He said,placing a hand over her eyes. At first before he did, she eyed his hand wearily, and then she took a quick glance at his eyes.

She had always prided herself in her ability to pick out people with ill-intent.

Chat's eyes however just held amusement.

So,in her sleepy haze,she allowed him to cover her eyes with his hand.

The darkness slowly hauled her in,and sleep took over.

Chat waited a few minutes before removing his hand, curious as to whether or not she actually fell asleep.

After noting that she did,he smiled victoriously, and jumped down to her chaise.

It was around 3 a.m that he fell asleep from exhaustion on Marinette's chaise.

At 3:30 a.m , Marinette woke up. It was normal for her to wake up in the early parts of the morning to go to bathroom,the strange pee-ing habits somehow started a year back,and now it was a nightly ritual to need to pee during the course of the night.

Drowsily,she walked down her stairs yawning. She went into the bathroom, pulled down her pants and sat on the toilet seat, smiling contentedly to herself, thinking about a sketch she had made that week.

She had completely forgotten about Chat, or the fact that he was in her room. After washing her hands, she entered her room, a dopey smile on her face.

But a small shuffle caught her attention,she was about to scream when she saw Chat on her chaise,however the sound died in her throat when the events of last night flooded her mind.

Her eyes fixed themselves on Chat's contorted face.

Something was wrong. He seemed to be writhing. It looked as if he was trying to break away from something.A cushion fell to the floor and Chat's head turned to the other side,he continued to wriggle and mouth something.

Marinette's eyes widened. Was he having a nightmare?She walked forward tentively.

"Chat?"She whispered, and the closer she got,the clearer she heard his mumblings.

"I told you already…Stop it…Don't…But this is wrong.I won't!"He said, suddenly shoving the air.

Marinette blinked.

"Hey, it's okay, you don't have to-urm- do anything."She said in what she hoped would be a soothing voice.

Her voice though,sounded awkward and unsure,and Chat didn't seem to hear her.

"Why…but you're a sister to me…I'm not your boyfriend,why do you say that?"He asked the silent air.

Marinette was unsure of what to do.

"Okay, okay, I'll do it… Please don't tell my father… I can't…"His head turned to the side sharply, his eyes scrunched shut.

Marinette stood next to the chaise, clutching her cushion.

"But you're my only friend…but… I don't want to… no…no…"He let out a strange noise. Marinette felt awful.

She was right.

Something did ruin his outlook on life,and it must have been whatever he was dreaming of…

He turned so that he was on his chest. Marinette reached out her hand, to touch his back but the contact seemed too much for him, because he flipped to his side and slashed the place where Marinette stood.

"Stop touching me!"He hissed as his claw scratched. Marinette made it out of the way just in time, but her cushion was ruined.

However, somehow the threads and fluff from the scratched cushion got caught in Chat's claws and the cushion was now seemingly stuck to his hand.

Marinette sighed in relief, but horror flooded her when she heard it…

A sob.

She looked at chats dry eyes…He was crying in his dream…Wait.

A tear slipped out slowly...

Marinette couldn't believe that something was wounding the kitty this badly…Quite frankly, it perturbed her to no ends.

Summoning up her courage, she stood at the head of the chaise,out of the way of his claws,and with her best bit of bravery,she placed a hand in his silky hair and petted.

He continued to whine.

"It's done now... It's finished. You're okay now."She said softly,when his whining stopped and his body began to still, she mustered up a bit more of her bravery and walked around to the side and knelt next to the chaise,not removing her hand.

"…but it's-"He started to talk again in his sleep but she hushed him,and slowly, his breaths became even as she continued to pet him. Her hands brushed through his hair gently and his body completely stilled,save for the steady rise and fall of his chest. His face turned to hers ,his eyes were still closed,but he looked relaxed now.

Marinette stared at his face and wondered who was the monster who tainted his dreams?

He wasn't a real villain.

The reall villain was the one who made him this way.

She lay her head on the chaise, and continued to play with his head till she succumbed to sleep.

Sometime during the night, the cushion fell off his hand and his hand gently intertwined with hers.

Chat awoke to Marinette with her hand in his hand and the other in his hair.

To say he was shocked was an understatement. A weird feeling welled up in his chest, and his stomach felt fluttery…

He blinked a few times ,noting that his eyes felt a bit sore. He looked at her again,and glanced at the clock, 5:30 in the morning.

He knew he needed to wake her up soon, but he didn't want to lose contact with her for some unknown reason.

This was weird, just last night he had to stop her from screaming when she saw him,and now they held hands?And in their sleep!But somehow, it felt so perfect, his hand being held...

Sighing, he cursed his wandering thoughts,and sat up,withdrawing his hand.

"Princess,time to wake up…"He said, lightly poking her cheek.

"Noooo…"She groaning, batting at his hand.

"Marinette come on, you have to get up now."He said,getting up from the chaise and going to crouch in front of the sleeping woman.

"Ten minutes more."She mumbled.

"My lady, you're going to be late-"he started but her eyes shot open.

"I'm late?Oh no, oh no, oh no, not again!"She exclaimed jumping up, it was so sudden that even Chat was taken aback.

"Wait, wait princess breathe-" he tried but she was already rummaging through her drawers.

"Urgh I have no time to bath now!"She squeaked, pulling out a clean set underwear and a lacy bra. Chat's eyes bulged.

Marinette had forgotten about his presence,again,and she made to remove her nightshirt.

Chat made it to her in time to forcefully yank it back on her.

"Princess,you have time!"He said, his voice highly strained as he thought about what his eyes had involuntarily seen.

Marinette's eyes fixed on him, she didn't realise he had been flashed. "Oh."

He took her shoulders, turned her around and marched her to the bathroom.

After she was done changing, Chat went over the rules again. He gave her a menacing threat about not ratting him out, she merely rolled her eyes.

He walked her down the stairs to the bakery, and a few of the female shop assistants were waiting outside. She let them in and Chat slinked outside unnoticed.

"Well, this is where I leave you. Till this evening, princess."He said with a bow.

"Right, well, have an awesome day!"She said,determined not to let him know that she knew about his nightmares.

She knew that he didn't want her to see him as vulnerable. So she would pretend,if that made him feel more secure,then she'd do it.

He nodded and took off, not noticing her looking at her timer, squeaking and running in a similar direction.

Chat ran as fast as he could before he rounded a corner and detransformed. Plagg yawned.

"Cheese."He demanded and Adrien handed him some.

When Adrien stepped out of the corner he collided with someone.

It must have looked really frightening for him to step out of the dark alley before catching the little person because she squeaked and a fist landed right on his eye.

"SHIT!" he exclaimed,covering his eye. "Adrien?"Marinette said in horror.

He exhaled, trying to stay calm.

"I'm sorry!Oh my gosh,what is wrong with me! You were just trying to catch me."She groaned.

Adrien looked at her with his uncovered eye.

"That's okay,Marinette, you look flustered, everything okay?"he asked,in a testing manner.

"Well yes,just some stuff happened and I have to get to the police station in 3 minutes."She said in a rush,her eyes darted around.

"I'm really really really sorry Adrien, I don't know where these violent outbursts are coming from." She said, grabbing her head. Her timer beeped.

"Eep! Two minutes! Adrien, I'm sorry again, please come by the bakery later,you can have anything you like.I'm sorry.I have to go.I'm so so so sorry."she said and suddenly ran off.

Adrien exhaled. The black eye wasn't going to be visible when he transformed but he knew it would stay on his civilian form

He watched Marinette run to the station. Well, it could have been worse, at least she didn't use her pot this time.

He trudged home and Plagg ate his cheese,choosing not to comment,but light snickers were audible.

"Damsels are violent as hell." He mused to himself. He entered the mansion in the normal fashion, seeing as he wasn't transformed. However, when he entered he knew he really had the worst luck, for there stood Gabriel Agreste, Nathalie, the Gorilla ,Mayor Bourgeois and…

And…

"Adrikins!"

Gabriel gasped at Adrien's black eye and Nathalie rushed to get an ice-pack.

"Where have you been? I was _so_ lonely!"

Adrien felt his heart drop through his chest. Why couldn't she leave him alone…Why?

 **A/N: GUYYYSSS!Those reviews literally made me smile like Plagg with Camembert!Thank you so much!I really appreciate it!And thank you to the Followers and favouriters(Is that a word?), you all have truly made my day.**

 **I really wish I could answer the guest reviews personally like I do with those with accounts, so Urm well,may I post replies here?I assure you it will only be at the ends of the chapter,but if you wish it I won't post it with the chapter.**

 **Oh and the issue of finding the story okay:**

www . fanifiction / s/12238138/1/Mine (keep all the characters but remove spaces and put http colon slash slash before it,remember no spaces)

 **That's it!Hope that helps!**

 **Soooo I hoped you enjoyed this chapter!I wasn't planning on posting till Wednesday, but you guys know I can't resist posting when your reviews make me this happy!Please review!Ask questions!I'm all ears, till next time!**

 **XOXO**

 **Ra Ra**


	6. Imagine

**A/N: Something different today, after every few chapters a direct POV of a character will take place, today is…. Adrien's!**

 **Please note there are mentions of rape in this chapter.**

…

You know, sometimes, I lock myself in my room. For days. I sit on the floor, in a dark corner of the bathroom…and I think.

I think about a whole lot of things actually. I think about mum.I wonder what dad is doing. And most of the time, I think about how disgusting I am.

I think about Chloe, and her 'needs'. I think about how pathetic I am that I can't say no , out of fear. Me. Adrien Agreste, Chat Noir. Afraid of a sadistic, plastic _thing._

It's actually quite hilarious if you look at it. I could kill her. I could kill her so easily. Once slash across that skinny neck of hers and it would all be over. No more fear. No more self-loathing…

But then…Is it ever really that easy? The marks she's indented on me can't be removed. I am and forever will be disgusting. If I ever told anyone, they'd laugh and say that it was part of life to lose ones virginity.

Well. Imagine losing it at 12 because you broke your mother's jewellery piece which was your dad's most prized possession and you told your only friend who used the information against you because they had 'needs'. Imagine being forced to lie down by another 12-frigging-year old . Just for a damn second think about the treachery of this being done to you because you broke a stupid, bloody peacock brooch.

Imagine thinking maybe it's over now that it's done. Imagine the horror of it happening again. Imagine wondering why your sister wants _that_ from you. Imagine realising that HA, she's not your friend, she's not your sister. You're her toy and she gets to use you.

Imagine getting older, and trying to make it stop and then being threatened to be accused of raping your _friend_ if you ever said anything.

Imagine, that happening for 6 years. Can you imagine the fear of suddenly being told you're a father at 16? Can you imagine the agony of realising that you will finally be caught out? Imagine being ready to accept the consequences in order for the child to live? Can you imagine all at once being told that your baby, the baby of you(who are also just a baby) was terminated because "Eww, no way! Can you imagine what that would do to my figure?". Imagine your horror realising that the thought of another pregnancy if she continued in this manner didn't affect her in the slightest, and being told that she could have as many abortions as she wants. Imagine still trying to see the good in your friend because in the end it was their body that would be taken over. Imagine realising that _that_ very friend was the one who took control of your own body? Imagine.

Can you imagine starving yourself, because your fathers line needed the perfect model, and who better than your father's son himself? Could you imagine seeing your body deteriorating. Imagine finally telling your dad that you will no longer follow that diet. Imagine secretly following it anyway to please him after you saw his look of utter disappointment. Imagine staying up, studying for your University FINALS at 16.

Imagine hoping to get some acknowledgment for your perfect score from your dad but being hauled away to your room for 'Celebratory sex' which really meant 'I'm bored,shag me and I won't tell daddy-dearest.'. And can you imagine crying yourself to sleep because you feel so pathetic and useless and vulnerable and ugly and stupid and controlled and your life is spiralling off into a never ending abyss of obsidian darkness. Imagine not telling anyone for years upon years. Imagine counting backwards from three billion every night as quick as you can because you had no more tears left to cry and thinking about anything other than numbers hurt.

And it hurt because you are a complete and utter failure and there's no way out...

Yet somehow, You still have to be that perfect young man. You have to do all those extra-curricular activities, not including your _friend's_ ones. You have to sit still, and look handsome, because this is what you have been bred to do. You have to pretend you're okay. You have to bite back the need to self-harm because if the world finds out your father will be ashamed. You have no real friends. Your father hates pets. If you saw a shrink your friend could twist the story. And it pierced your heart and twisted like a dagger that after everything they've done,after everything they have put you through, after the use and abuse, the downplay and shame, you still cling to the idea that somewhere deep inside them they genuinely care about you, and you know that you care about them but in all honesty you know that they don't care for you in the slightest because :

You.

Are.

Nothing.

Imagine growing up with everything, and having absolutely nothing. And then developing this weird obsession to protect your possessions like you should have protected your body all those years ago. Imagine that possessive nature clinging to you, because if you had nobody, then all the gizmos and gadgets were all you had,and you would care for them because they never hurt you.

Imagine getting jealous, and so angry that everyone, everyone but you could live normal, happy lives. Lives with love and friends. Lives with hope and meaning while you were just a sex toy and model. Imagine starting to hate yourself more and more, and then hating the world. How could they do this…How could they do this?

Imagine wanting them to feel it. The pain. The self-loathing. Imagine wanting the world to be as ugly as your soul. Imagine.

Imagine one day finding a box. A box with a ring. A ring that made all the horrible things you wanted possible. After everything. After all of the shit. You had the chance to destroy the world, like it had done to you. Because every magazine they bought made your father keep you as a model. Because they were the ones who elected the Mayor and inherently gave superiority to his rotten-ass daughter. Because they never ever stopped for a damn moment to ask you if you were okay.

So you tell me, please tell me. Am I wrong to be a monster?

Is it wrong to be this way. Is it wrong to be cruel? Is it wrong to go against Plagg who is the closest thing to a real father that I have despite his weirdness?Is it so bad that I enjoy seeing their blood after I shred them almost to death?Is it bad that I can't handle people looking into my eyes? Is it disgusting that I find pleasure in their fear. Is it awful that I dream of their death?

Does it scare you that I would kill you? Does it make you sick that I'm so twisted? Does it make no sense to you why I can't say no? Does it ever cross your mind that I want to die? Do you think that Paris should be happy? Would you like it better if I left? Do you know what it's like to be me?

Well, let me tell you a secret. You would never understand. Not now. Not ever. No matter how hard you try to imagine.

You will never know, unless you've lived it.

And you haven't. So tell me one more time, in the end, am I really, truly the monster? I thought so.

END POV

Adrien stared up at the ceiling as Chloe left the room, talking loudly and obnoxiously with Sabrina. He closed his eyes as he heard the door slam shut. His father would want to see him in an hours' time to discuss why he went missing and how he got a black eye. However, for the time being, he would stay in bed, and stare blankly up at the ceiling. Jaw clenched. Eyes closed. Soul destroyed. Plagg came out of the cupboard he was hiding in and tentively lay on Adrien's pillow. He was at a loss for words.

No matter how many times he saw Chloe force herself on the boy, it never ceased to make him feel utterly useless and sick to his stomach. Words would not help the young man now.

Plagg's ears flattened as he noticed a tear slip out of his chosen one's eye. He couldn't bring himself to tell Adrien to pull himself together. He didn't know how to help. None of the Chat's before him had been like this. None of them faced this atrocity. Here was a man. Completely broken.

No actually.

Here was a child, completely destroyed. Adrien exhaled slowly through his nose and opened his beautiful eyes. They were cold.

"Plagg. We're going out tonight." He said.

"Adrien…"

"Plagg I need to.I'm sorry."

With that he walked to the bathroom to wash some of the horrors of his life off his body.

 **A/N:And the darkness begins to ascend… Thank you guys for all the super awesome feedback and reviews and follows and faves!**

 **Okay so I know this chapter was creepy, but it was necessary, this sets us up for the one in future where the big emotional breakdown takes place.**

 **Please review!I just love getting feedback from you guys!Till next time.**

 **XOXO**

 **Ra Ra**


	7. Territory

"I will not pretend to be pleased at your incompetent behaviour, nor do I wish to know how you acquired that, Adrien, but let me make myself clear. If I see something like this again, you can say goodbye to your independence once more,"he turned to his son.

"Because I will reassign your body-guard."He sighed.

"You are going to taint my reputation."

"Father I swear, I didn't get into a fight and I didn't get mugged, it was the tennis ball machine…"Adrien said.

Gabriel regarded his son with a raised brow.

"You may leave now."

Adrien turned and left his father's study, closing the door behind him. His father had been more than furious, having to cancel not 3,but 4 photo shoots because of Adrien's black eye. Adrien sighed and returned to his room.

At least things would be slightly better this week...

His schedule had been cleared this week except for Thursday when he had to model for the upcoming Ravensburg Winter Collection, they were counting on Adrien so it was agreed to put a bit of make-up on the bruise (but not too much that it would get infected) and finish the look with dark blue glasses to cover everything up properly. His English tuition had been postponed to Saturday, and his archery instructor had been shot by one of his students accidentally so had been hospitalized. His violin lessons were cancelled due to his teacher playing in the orchestra on Wednesday. It was rescheduled as a double lesson next week. His Martial Arts classes was an everyday class, but Nathalie cancelled it this week as any more bruises on the kitten's body would send Gabriel into a burning rage. And later this week Gabriel would be attending a three week conference in Miami, Nathalie and the Gorilla going with him. Everything just worked out.

Adrien couldn't help but smile, just a little. It seemed he was being unusually lucky.

Strange…

Upon entering his room, he eyed his bed in disgust and walked to the window. In the distance he could see the Bakery.

"How'd it go, kid?" Plagg asked, floating next to Adrien.

"I couldn't get a word in, as usual." Adrien huffed in agitation.

Plagg swallowed his cheese. Adrien stared at the dark clouds rolling across the sky. It would be raining again tonight.

"Adrien."Nathalie called from outside his door.

"Yes?"

"Your father has decided to leave to Miami tonight instead of Friday as the weather seems to be getting worse by the day . He wishes to know if you would like to join him."

Adrien perked up at this.

"Chloe Bourgeois is also coming."

Adrien gagged. "No no, I'm okay, don't wanna fall behind on any of my classes, and my eye _really_ hurts. _Really badly._ I should rest up. Oh and I have to finish my books too. You guys go ahead."

"I could clear your schedule for the next-"

"That won't be necessary! B-But thank you, I mean thank him!" Adrien fumbled. He couldn't be near her so soon. He just couldn't. He wouldn't.

He won't.

Nathalie was quiet.

"Alright. Good Afternoon Adrien. The chauffeur and butlers will be in their quarters if you require anything." She said and walked off.

Adrien hit his head dejectedly on the window. A wasted opportunity to actually be with his father because the witch wanted to show up.

Plagg eyed Adrien thoughtfully, thinking of something to bring the boy's spirit up.

"Don't worry, kid. Add these 4 days to the three weeks, and you have almost a month alone!"

Plagg didn't realise how horrible that sounded at first but quickly learned when Adrien's eyes darkened.

He tried again.

"Isn't that almost as long as Marinette's parents are going to be away for?'

Adrien looked at Plagg. He was right… Adrien smirked. "Yeah,yeah it is…"

Plagg blinked at Adrien's sudden change in demeanour and slowly he held a subtle knowing smirk of his own. Master Fu was right, as always.

Adrien walked over to his couch and lay down. He began to count, and after an hour, he fell asleep.

…

He woke up when he heard an unmistakable clap of thunder, and the sizzling crackle of lightning. Oh this was the perfect weather to hunt. He smiled cynically and jumped up, running to the window. The rain was coming down really, really hard. A car alarm went off in the distance. He watched as people drove unsteadily through the slowly rising waters, and how some pedestrians frantically made their ways into shops or back to their homes. Pushing one of the glass windows open, he inhaled the icy air, it smelled so refreshing, well, as refreshing as air can smell.

He intertwined his hands and pushed his arms upwards, in a slow, cat-like stretch. He rolled his head and cricked his neck.

"Plagg."

"Mmm?"

"Transform me." He said simply, and the kwami was sucked into the ring.

He grinned as the transformation took place and he cracked his knuckles. Chat's reflection in the glass revealed that his black eye would not be visible while Plagg held the transformation. And so, with one last frightening smirk, he leaped out his window and into the panicked streets of Paris.

His black-clad figure could be seen sauntering across the rooftops. He walked slowly and his tail flicked lazily.

"Who to pick, who to pick. Will it be you?" He asked the air but his eyes fell on a little pink haired woman.

"Or will it be you?" He eyed a brunette, he was tall,muscular and clearly hated the rain.

Chat smirked. He crossed his hands behind his back and practically floated slowly across the rooftops.

"Who today, who today, who today shall be my prey?" He asked nobody in particular. He suddenly crouched as his eyes caught sight of man with black hair and blue eyes, he was slender and looked to be in his early thirties, standing underneath a shelter. It was 3:45, but in this kind of weather crime time would start sooner rather than later. This was something many Parisians had no idea about. On rainy days, villains came out earlier and stayed out later.

His beady blue eyes darted around.

"…No sugarplum, you know she gets uglier by the day, she's nothing compared to you my sweet…HA!She doesn't suspect a thing…I told her I would be working the night shift…Urgh, no…Aww pumpkin, my wife is just around because someone needs to take care of the kids...My kids? No they aren't as important as you sugarplum…No, they mean nothing to me, I don't even know why I had them."

 _No, they mean nothing to me,I don't even know why I had them._

Chat hissed, his eyes flashed. Something inside his chest snapped as he heard what the pathetic man said.

He did not understand why such pompous words wounded him so much, but deep down he did.

He did,because like this man's kids, he too meant nothing to his own father.

Chat's eyes narrowed. His blood blazed…

Oh, this man was going to get it.

He jumped down from the rooftop and stood in front of the man.

"AAAH!" The man screamed and accidentally threw his phone in the process.

Chat wasted no time in grabbing the man's throat and slamming him into the wall.

"Ah-ah-ah, no screaming." Chat tsked as the man made a gurgling sound.

"Someone's been a bad little mouse. "He said in a whisper, suddenly throwing the man from the wall, onto the pavement.

The man crawled backwards.

"Aww. He tries to escape." Chat said tilting his head.

"Tell you what, little mouse, I'll give you 80 seconds to run, because what's a game without a chase?" Chat said in a sickeningly sweet tone, but if one listened close enough, the malice in his voice was palpable.

The man gaped, gasped ,got up and took off running.

"It's Chat Noir!" Someone said.

It was an officer. Chat hissed and darted out of the way of the incoming ammunition.

"Now is that any way to treat a kitty?" Chat said from the top of a light pole.

"You're not a kitty, you're a monster."

"Meow-ch, you wound me, sir." Chat said, dramatically clutching his chest.

The officer shot again, Chat dodged gracefully and deflected a few more with his baton.

"Oooooh , feisty." Chat said. "I need back-up, I repeat I need back up-"the man started saying into his walkie-talkie.

Chat suddenly darted forward and slammed the man into the ground, the officer's gun flew out of his hand. Chat grabbed the man's tongue with his claws and the man stayed dead still to prevent his tongue from ripping,it was already bleeding.

"Oh, I see, you're a new recruit, so you're in your early twenties I presume?Well I guess you don't understand how it goes. You see,you can call more officers,I don't mind, but that just means I'm going to have to maim all of you,and while you all lie bleeding to death, I walk away unwounded. Now that idea sounds really claw-some but you can't be that DAFT...The other officers know better than to mess with me. Did they not tell you?" Chat said in a humored voice.

He leaned down to the man's ear. "I'm a sicko, and I would want nothing more than to rip out your intestines and use them as a skipping rope."

The man didn't speak, but he looked up at Chat in horror.

"Nothing to say? Oh I see, _Chat_ got your tongue!"Chat said, bursting out into laughter as he let go of the man's bleeding tongue and backflipped a few spaces.

"Well, I've already got my prey for today so I'm in a merciful mood, run along." Chat said,and pathetically, the man did so.

The confrontation took 58 seconds. Chat began to run in the opposite direction, tracing the scent of the man from before. He tracked him down after a minute, and honestly, he was impressed at how far and deep into the city the man had run. Chat grabbed the man by the collar and hurtled him into a dark alley.

"Wait, wait! Chat Noir, please! I'm an innocent man!" The man said as his back his the back of the alley, he was drenched.

"Is that so?" Chat said, walking into the alley. This part of the city was really quiet, everyone had gone into their homes.

"I am, I swear to you I am. Don't kill me, I have a family to provide for!"

"What a surprise." Chat said with an eyeroll.

"I promise, would you attack a man with children? Please, let me go, I beg you!"

Chat snarled and yanked the man up to eye level by his collar. Oh how he loved his height.

"You mistake me for someone with a heart!" Chat hissed into the man's face and he slammed him into the wall before throwing him on the ground.

He kicked the man over and got on top of him before punching him with every bit of anger he let it loose, unraveling completely in the moment. He reveled in every crunch he heard, and he just kept going. The man was obviously quite strong, but not strong enough to overpower him.

This man disgusted him so much. He hated this person and yet he didn't even know who the man was.

The man's face was a bloodied mess after a while. Chat picked him up and threw his body onto the wall a few more times. He was still alive but he was breathing in short, raspy, shallow breaths. Chat bent close to the man's unrecognizable face, his own breaths coming out in short , breathless huffs.

"They may not mean anything to you, you filth, but to them you are their everything." He said in an emotionless voice. He dragged the man's bloodied body out of the alley and left him in front of a nearby shop.

With a final look of disgust at the man, he took off.

He ran through the rain, blindly. He didn't know where he was going, his mind was utterly blank and he wandered like that for a while until he came upon a park.

It looked beautiful in the rain and the flowers danced under the heavy drops from heaven.

Chat slowly walked over to the flowers and crouched. His fingers grazed the tops of the large,beautiful red flowers, and he leaned down to pluck one, but as he did, he noticed a small rose-ringed parakeet. It had barely any feathers and was huddling in the flowers.

Chat looked around, he sniffed, no sign of a nest or the parents.

"Hi." He said to the green little bird. It merely shivered in response.

"Urm."He pursed his lips. What was he supposed to do? In _Poly_ he saw that Maria (or whatever her name was) nursed him. Was he supposed to do that?

He sighed. He didn't know how to do that.

"Look, bird, it's nothing personal, it's just that I don't know what to do with you."

The bird chirped.

"You're cute. You can find some bird to take care of you."

The bird looked up at him through shivers and tilted its little head. It's eyes looked as if they were straining to look at him.

"I'm serious, I'm sorry, but I have to go." He said, getting up with the red flower he plucked a few minutes ago, and leaving the park, halfway out however, he stopped.

"Urgh!"He stomped back to the flowers. "You little shit. You planned this. Making those stupid noises with your stupid face and your stupid cuteness." He muttered scooping the bird up.

He ran out of the park. What the hell would he do with this? He glanced down at the bird in his hand that had its claws hooked into the material on his chest.

He huffed. "Great. Now I have to hide you in my house. Plagg is going to kill me." He skidded to a halt, he pressed a button on his baton,it was 18:30.

A small smile flashed on his face , there was one person he knew wouldn't say no to a 'stray' abandoned bird…

Upon arriving at the bakery, he noticed two suspicious men, staring up at Marinette's window. The window was closed and the wardrobe was still in front so you couldn't see inside. Chat snarled, taking out his baton. Quickly, he composed himself.

He walked up to the men casually.

"Gentlemen." He said, nodding to them.

They gasped. "Chat Noir!" One exclaimed, eyeing the red flower and baton. A Cheshire cat smile slid on. He walked to the front of the bakery and placed the bird and flower down before turning back to them.

"To what do I owe this pleasure." He asked the masked man.

"Urm…nothing sir,we're just robbing a bakery…"

"A bakery? Are you a fan of chocolate cake?" he asked. They blushed.

"Actually there's a girl in the bakery."One said.

"I see." Chat nodded to himself and twirled his baton.

"Well…"He began…

Suddenly he swung his baton into one of the men's faces.

"Take-" He kicked the other one in the gut.

"-your-" he kneed the other one in the back.

"-stinking-" he punched the man repeatedly, throwing him down and grabbing the other man.

"-selves," He scratched him across the face.

"-and don't-" he punched the man on the nose, sending him howling to the ground.

"-ever step-" he slammed the next man's head into the ground.

"-on my territory-"He slashed his face.

"AGAIN!" He said slamming the two heads together.

The wounded men staggered away from him. Whimpering. He waved with a cynical smile.

"I'll _chat_ you later! Warn your friends!" He said in a singsong voice as he picked up the flower and bird.

It was really dark outside.

"Chat?" He turned around and saw Marinette coming to the bakery,she was holding an umbrella and a bag of fabric's. She could barely make-out who he was in the dark.

"Princess?" He asked.

"You're all wet." She said with a frown, coming a bit closer and holding the umbrella over his head too.

"Why are you out so late? Ugh. You have no regard for your safety do you? Silly princess."He said, shaking his head, but thankful that she had not been inside the bakery where the creeps could've gotten her.

She laughed lightly, "I have pepperspray and a Taser." He rolled his eyes, but nodded, aware of how dangerous the tiny girl really was.

The rain ran off the umbrella, and the two of them stood close to each other. Marinette's eyes darted around. "We should get inside. Cover me." She said, he nodded as they walked to the door and she opened all the gates and guards.

Eventually they were inside. After a few moments of silence, Chat remembered the mission.

"Oh yes, My lady, I got you a present." He said, feeling strangely giddy.

Marinette raised her brows, stepping backwards. "A present?"

"Yes, a gift." He said grinning, stepping towards her, so close that she was suddenly looking up into his eyes and their chests were just a few inches apart.

Marinette blinked.

"What is it?" She asked, eyeing his hand cupped on his chest, as it held something. He smirked and handed her the beautiful red flower first.

She took it with a raised brow.

Then slowly he opened his other hand.

Her eyes widened as she looked down at the bird as it clung to Chat's chest. "Oh my gosh…"She said.

The bird chirped in response and pooped on Chat's hand.

Chats eyes widened comically before he hissed at the bird. "You little shit."

Marinette looked over at the poop.

"That's not little at all."

He narrowed his eyes at her in annoyance.

 **A/N: Hey guys! Wow that last chaper got so many reviews,like DAMN! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed,read,faved and followed!You ROCK!**

 **I do apologise for the darkness of that chapter but really, it was essential.I ended up having to change the rating because it had some sexual implications, and dark themes, which may not have been suitable in the T rating.**

… **Also, to everyone who asked if I was going through something, urm yes I did go through something a while ago, a long while ago, so I did know what I was talking about when I was writing that…BUT I'm like supercalifragilisticexpialidocious-ly awesome now , shid happens, that's life, what matters is that you get up and go on! Thank you for caring to ask, it really warmed my heart :)**

 **Anywho, this chapter was more of a cool-off from that chapter, please REVIEW!I love feedback, it makes me so happy!**

 **Also, since this was more like a filler chapter, I will be uploading Chapter 8 tomorrow evening, how's that sound?**

 **XOXO**

 **Ra Ra**


	8. Emotions

After taking the bird up to her room and seeing to it that it had necessary warmth from the hot-water-bottle that it slept on, Marinette turned to find Chat staring at her as she placed her flower in a vase full of water.

"So why were you out so late?" She asked him.

"Oh I just had some people to attack." He said, casually laying down on her chaise as she gaped.

"Y-You attacked someone?" She asked in horror.

"Well actually he had it coming." He said with a shrug.

Marinette held her head.

"And that makes it justifiable?" She asked in frustration.

Chat sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Relax princess,he was alive when I left him." Marinette's mouth dropped open. He grinned at her shocked face.

"…Why do you do these things?" She asked.

"A variety of reasons, and also I've been meaning to ask you something too, why are you fine with having someone as dangerous as me in your house, alone with you...Did it ever occur to you that I'm gaining your trust just so that I can attack you when you least expect it?"He asked.

Marinette blinked.

"Not really…"

"Okay,explain as to why not?"

"I really don't know." She said honestly. Chat frowned and lay back on the chaise.

"You're strange Marinette."

"That's coming from the man with a tail." She said. He rolled his eyes.

"Ha ha, very funny,say, what were you buying earlier?"He asked,sitting up and watching as she arranged some oddly shaped pieces of paper on her table.

Marinette bit her lip for the slightest of seconds. If she wanted to help him, she needed to get close to him.

But it was daunting.

Yes, she claimed to not be alarmed about him being there with her, but it was honestly a bit nerve-wrecking. This was the man that attacked at least 4 people every single week,and he had been doing that for the last 4 years.

She'd have to be a complete moron not to be a bit weary.

…But she knew what she had to needed to become someone that he _wouldn't_ hurt.

The only way to do that was to become a really important person in his life, like a best friend, maybe even a sisterly figure!

She had to strip away everything.

She needed to stop looking at him as Chat Noir the criminal,and look at him as Chat,her friend.

She would be herself,and get him to be his true self,even if he secretly wanted to kill her, she would try. She wouldn't be Marinette Dupain-Cheng if she could say NO to someone who desperately needed her help.

She exhaled before looking at him with a warm smile,she waved him over.

Quietly,like the kitty he was,he slinked out of the chaise and sauntered over to her with a perfectly shaped brow raised. Marinette noted the perfect shape.

"You get your eyebrows done?"She suddenly blurted before she could stop herself.

Chat's eyes widened as she said that,his hand shot up to his eyebrows and he took a small step back.

' _Marinette!Don't make him self-conscious!He probably thinks you're judging him.'_ She berated herself mentally.

"Urm yes, it's a requirement in my profession…"

"Ooooh, sounds fancy, well,I like it, it suits you."She said with a thumbs up, and an encouraging smile.

"Really?Urm, thank you, princess." He said,he was unaware of the unconscious blush creeping onto his face.

"Anyway, come over here." She said, pulling up a chair for him next to her at the table.

He slowly came over and sat down gingerly and he looked at patterns for something on different pieces of paper,cut neatly,but it made no sense to him in regards of what it was.

"I was making you something."She said happily.

He stared at her. "What for?" He asked incredulously. Well this was unexpected…

"No reason. It's just a present."She said.

"A present…Why?" He asked, even more confused.

"Because I wanted to." She said simply.

"You wanted to make something for me,for no reason."He repeated wearily.

Marinette rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Chat,it's what friends do."she said.

He blinked.

"We're friends?"He asked in genuine shock.

"Urm, yeah, seeing as I'm still alive and you haven't had your butt kicked by me."

He snickered, "You,kick my butt.I'd like to see you-"he stopped abruptly when he saw her pan in her hand.

"Go on."she said, holding back a laugh.

"Urm,okay I'll just give you the benefit of the doubt."He said jumping back.

She laughed and he found himself relaxing at the sound. "Okay Chat,let's get something to eat, it's past dinner time."

He followed her out of her room silently, confused as to why he didn't feel like digging her eyes out,or showing her that she actually couldn't kick his butt. It was strange feeling so…

Normal…

It was so strange how he felt so at ease in her presence. It was weird how her laugh just destroyed the tension in his was terrifying.

Upon entering the kitchen Marinette pulled some Lasagne out of the fridge.

Chat gulped. The calories in that would make his father skin him alive…He could almost picture it:

' _Adrien, you have blatantly disregarded me, and the entire world of fashion...Just look at what you have done, you could have gotten a stretch mark,then what would we do?Do you realize how bad this makes me look?My own son being short of immaculate...Did you even think about it while you were out being so insolent?No,I presume,since you are so blatantly selfish._ '

He shook his head as Marinette called his name.

"What?" He asked.

"I asked if you want more cheese."

 _More cheese?_ Oh his father wouldn't be skinning him.

He would be strangling him and then skinning the corpse while simultaneously berating him.

"I'm not really hungry." He said.

"Yeah but you can't just let me eat alone." She said,waving her spatula.

"You're not the boss of me." He said with a huff.

"I'm the boss of this kitchen!" She said with her nose in the air.

"And in my kitchen everybody eats as a unit." She said,handing him a plate.

He almost died when he saw the large piece of lasagna.

"Oh my claws." He said with a groan.

Finding courage, Marinette grabbed his tail and pulled him into the bakery.

"What are you doing princess?" He asked, looking over his shoulder as he walked backwards.

"We're picking dessert."

"I don't think it would be healthy-"

"Nonsense everyone needs dessert-"

"Princess,really I shouldn't be-"

"We have to have dessert otherwise-"

"Princess you don't understand-"

"We won't sleep well-"

"Marinette stop.I'm a model,I literally cant!"He finally said in frustration.

"I can't eat sweets or pastries even if I wanted to. I have to eat...salads,fish,fruit... very low calorie foods,and once in a while I eat sugar free bubblegum."

Her mouth fell open.

"You mean to tell me…You're one of those people who starve to stay in shape?"

He pursed his lips. "It's not as if I have a choice, don't look at me like that." He snarled. Marinette blinked.

"Chat who's making you do this?" She asked in concern. He looked up at her from the corner of his eye. He didn't say anything.

She sighed. "Okay so no sugar or much fat then?" She asked. He nodded. She rubbed her temples. "Alright." She went back into the kitchen.

She went back into the kitchen. He followed her.

"What are you doing princess?"

She put on an apron. "Come in kitty, you better not be expecting me to do this alone." She said, opening a book and placing it on the island.

"Do what?"

"Cook of course!" She said with a laugh, she hid something behind her back and walked towards him deviously. His eyes widened and he began to step back.

"Princess, I don't mean to offend you but devious and evil smiles only look good on me-"

Suddenly a toque was slammed onto his head.

Marinette burst out laughing as Chat wrinkled his nose. He pouted and she continued to laugh at him.

"Oooh Ohhh this is too much, Chat Noir in a toque, the villain is ready to make a _killer_ dish, HAAA, oh Chat,you should see yourself, this is funnier than the bird poop!"She said, falling to the floor. She found his red face hilarious, and like before, her pure,innocent and untainted laugh soothed him.

His lips moved from their annoyed pout into a smile as he watched her.

Eventually, she stopped and she stood up.

"Okay,you hand me those things when I ask for them."She said, gesturing to the ingredients she laid out.

All healthy ingredients he noted. She began to form a dough and he watched her curiously. After a while she handed him a spoon and a bowl.

"You make the filling." She said, turning him and leading him to the little counter where some other ingredients were laid out. More healthy stuff… She handed him the directions.

Shredded tuna,mozzarella, salt,a bunch of spices that were optional and a strange jar labelled "Tom's secret spice".

"My lady, I don't know what to do, especially with these optional ones ."He said.

"Come on kitty, just make it taste good, I believe in you!" She said smiling and going back to her dough. Chat felt a small skip in his heartbeat. That…

That was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to him…

He nodded in determination.

' _Alright Adrien, you can do this.'_ He thought, and then, he created the perfect filling.

"I'm done!" He said, feeling really excited and nervous now that Marinette would be tasting it.

She turned with a bit of flour on her cheek. "Already?Wow Chat, you work fast! Hmm,but how does it taste?"She said,taking a small spoonful. After placing it in her mouth her eyes widened and she froze.

Chat stared at her stunned face. "Princess?Princess?Oh my claws,spit it out!Spit it out!"He said suddenly exclaimed in horror and shame, and practically carried her over to the sink. She turned to him with wide eyes.

"Chat that was the most amazing tuna filling I ever tasted." She said suddenly.

"Huh?" He asked in confusion. He wasn't even sure what he was doing. "Dad doesn't ever use the optional spices because apart from the mix he makes he doesn't know what else to add to enhance the taste…But wow." She looked up at him.

"Good job!" She exclaimed holding out her fist.

He suddenly felt so proud and appreciated. It was such a weird and strange sensation that he almost didn't know how to react, so he just smiled back at her.

A genuine smile.

A kind of smile that hadn't graced his face since years before.

He looked down at her small fist. "What are you doing?" He asked.

Marinette tilted her head. "It's a fist bump. Like this."She said, reaching cautiously for his hand and closing his long fingers into his palm before bumping his fist with hers.

"Pound it." She said with a grin.

He blinked at her. She was so nice…

How could a person be so nice? He was a menace and a monster and she was treating him with such kindness…Something in his chest shifted.

Marinette continued to smile and went to finish off the Tuna quiche(That's what they were making).After popping it in the oven she took out something from the freezer. It was frozen strawberries.

Then she opened the fridge and pulled out fresh ones.

"Do you like strawberries? "She asked, Chat was leaning against the counter, watching her carefully. He leaned his cheek on his palm.

"Yes I do."He said.

"Okay then we're going to have strawberry sorbet for dessert, hey don't give me that look ,you said you're allowed to eat fruit, I'm not adding sugar." She said as she pulled out the blender and popped strawberries in.

He frowned.

"Marinette?"

"Yeah?"She called over the sound of the blender.

"Are you always this nice or are you just kissing-ass?"He asked.

She turned to him with a raised brow.

"I'm not fond of 'ass-kissing', Chat. But I know one person who is."She said with an annoyed look.

"Who?"

"Chloe Bourgeois, URGH!That girl! She makes my blood boil!"

Chat froze. Marinette knew that thing? His heart beat wildly,suddenly scared.

"The mayor's daughter? You know her personally?"He asked slowly.

"Know her?Ha,she's made my life a living hell since kindergarten."Marinette suddenly let out a pained whine and she stomped her foot.

"And today she came over to the bakery, and she rubbed it in my face that she would be going to this super Amazing fashion expo in Miami with Gabriel Agreste.I mean she literally rubbed her ticket in my face. Then she rubbed her passport too,but then Alya smacked it out of her hand, long story short,I hate her, she hates me." She said with a sigh. "But as sad as it is that she gets to go to Miami with Gabriel instead of me, at least I won't see her for a month!"She said excitedly.

Chat grinned, he shared her excitement, and words could not describe how ecstatic he was that someone else also despised the prissy blonde.

Marinette suddenly gasped.

"Oh my gosh, I punched her boyfriend today!" She shrieked.

"She has a boyfriend?" He asked in utter shock, not catching on.

"Yeah,Gabriel's son, Adrien Agreste."Marinette groaned into her hands.

Chats mouth dropped open.

"They're dating?What?Who told you that?"He asked in horror.

Marinette gave him a confused look.

"Chat I know you're a villain and stuff, but not knowing Adrien and Chloe are a thing?Where have you been living for the past 6 years?Chloe even had his signature saying she's the love of his life, everybody knows Chat."

' _Everyone but me.'_ He didn't know what to say.

All of Paris thought he was dating that thing,even Marinette!Urgh!

"Well that's the first I heard of it."He mumbled.

The timer sounded and Marinette took the delicious looking quiche out of the oven.

"It's a shame too,he has like these amazing green eyes,I swear they're like nothing you've ever seen,and he seems like a pretty cool guy,I mean after I punched him he wasn't even mad.I hope he's okay…"She said with a frown.

The set the quiche on the table.

"Maybe Chloe's like secretly really loving with him or something."

Chat couldn't hold back his snort, "I'll say." He muttered.

"Okay Chat,here you go, your low calorie quiche with a glass of really awesome iced-water."She said,handing him his plate and taking her own.

"And your sugar free strawberry sorbet."She handed him a bowl of it.

Then she turned and marched up to her room,she was really pleased with herself.

Chat was talking more,and smiling more, honestly she found his company quite charming.

Chat on the other hand was pawsitively shocked. She liked his eyes.A lot. He felt flattered.

Today was the most emotional day he had in forever, in the best possible way.

He couldn't explain it,but he had felt so many feelings...It was astounding how one little woman who he still barely knew nothing about could calm him,make him laugh,shock him, make him flustered, make him feel proud and motivated, make him happy and thankful.

When he finally took a bite of the quiche he was amazed,it was so good!He ate it happily and Marinette smiled quietly. At least he trusted her enough not to think that she poisoned it.

After they ate their sorbets they lay on her bed, stuffed.

"That was clawsome."He said.

Marinette hiccuped. "And it was all under 400 calories."

Chat turned to face her. "You know princess, you didn't really have to cook that just because I have a weird diet.I was fine with not eating…"

"Not eating isn't fine. Not in this house."She said,patting her tummy.

"No I mean, it was really kind of you of you to do that."

Marinette yawned. "Don't worry about it ,I'm happy you liked it."She said with a smile.

He smiled back.

Marinette's eyes began to close and Chat watched as she fell asleep. Slowly he reached out and wiped the bit of powder off her cheek.

"You're different Marinette."He said to the sleeping Marinette. Suddenly something clinked in his head and he groaned.

"I'm attached." He said, smacking his forehead,he took off his toque and got off the bed and jumped down the ladder.

He walked up to Berry and noted the bird was still asleep.

He sighed and walked to the chaise and sat, watching the wardrobe, he was determined to stay awake tonight.

As always, he had many things to think about.

…Except this time it involved a currently sleeping princess and not the banshee in Miami.

 **A/N: HEY GUYS! Just have to say, those reviews, absolutely amazing, yes guest reviewers I'm talking to you too! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed and faved!It made me super excited!**

 **Oh and OMG thank you so much to CearaDragon who made fanart!I'll post the link in chapter 9 :D I'm so honored that someone actually made art!**

 **I hope you guys like this!I know I'm a couple hours late, but my mum has been nagging me to make a Christmas chocolate cake and so that took a chunk of , I got this done!**

 **Please REVIEW!You know how excited feedback makes me! :D**

 **Anyways, I have an hour of sleep before I have to get up, so ttyl!**

 **XOXO**

 **Ra Ra**


	9. Plushies

The next morning went smoothly. Marinette woke up to be ushered into the bathroom by Chat since she had to get to campus. Berry was fed, and put back into his box to rest. After a speedy breakfast, Marinette ran back up to her room to get her phone.

"Chat, did you see my phone?"

"Hmmm...Meow-pe."He said.

"What?"

"Meowpe. You know, like nope?"He explained, watching her face get more and more twisted in confusion.

Marinette was silent for a moment before she laughed lightly and smacked her head.

"Meow-pe?Come on Chat that's the worst pun I've heard all year!"She laughed more.

Chat pouted. "You just have no sense of mew-mur."

"…Humour?"She asked.

He nodded.

Marinette scratched her neck. "You're paw-ful at this,even I'm _pet_ ter than mew."She said.

Chat's eyes widened.

"You like pun's princess?"

"Pawsibly. Meow-be… Actually nope. Puns suck." She admitted. Chat grinned.

"That's _pawsitively pawful_ princess, it makes _me_ -ow sad to even hear it from _mew_."He said, Marinette groaned.

"In fact my heart feels _mew-serable_ right _meow_ from hearing you say _chat_!"

"Chaaaat!"She whined as his puns got worse.

"And _meow mew_ are really meowing out my _nya_ me."

"I can't even understand you now." Marinette grumbled.

"Mew should go. You're getting late, princess."

Marinette gasped, "Oh right, bye Chat!" She said beginning to run the stairs when suddenly she paused at the last step

' _Everyone should feel loved._ ' She thought and took a deep breath.

She jumped the last step and when she was certain Chat was also on ground level, she spun around, and hauled him in for a hug.

Chat froze. He was completely stiff, not sure what to do…

It was the first time in several years that someone other than Chloe hugged him. It was a different kind of hug. It was reassuring.

It was caring.

It was simply Marinette.

Marinette adamantly stayed in that position, she had read once that when hugging someone who is emotionally conflicted, pulling away first isn't an option.

She could be late for one day, it didn't matter, she was the best in her year and her lecturers hardly even minded.

Chat didn't know how to respond. He felt uncomfortable…But…He also felt warmer.

This hug was not like the hold he found himself in on the day that he saved her from that man.

No.

This was something new entirely.A strange feeling swept through him. It started in his tummy and made its way to his chest and knees, sending small electric jolts up through his arms,and a rush of heated blood to his cheeks.

His lips itched and his throat went dry.

His heart pounded wildly but his hands stayed at his sides.

He didn't move,and neither did she,and they stayed completely still waiting for the other to leave.

But Chat stayed in place and so did she, and it was worth it, because his hands moved up ,ever so slowly.

At first they were hesitant but slowly gained pace,wrapping themselves around the tiny body, hugging it in its place.

Chat's head inched down and his nose nestled her hair, happy for a moment that if he could be anywhere he'd still want to be here. His arms tightened for a moment as her hand glided through his scalps golden locks, before trailing between his ears and making swirly hair knots.

It was a moment so poetic that he couldn't describe it, and the fact that he felt…a feeling….well he wouldn't deny it.

For there was something about Marinette, that was so pure and new, traits that his dark persona was hardly used to.

Her hand wrapped around his neck in a pleasant way…but he decided to release his hold, even though he wished that she could stay. He slowly stepped backwards and she looked happily into his eyes.

All she saw though was the look of a child. A child who had received something he never knew he wanted.A child who lay longing for care, a child taken for granted…

She blinked.

"Bye Chat.I'll see you later."She said.

"Yeah,later…"He murmured and she smiled.

Ever so slowly he smiled back.

After watching her let in the bakers and shop assistants, Chat glided out unnoticed and watched her walk slowly to her university. The red-haired girl and a guy with a headphones popped up. Did they all attend the same university?

Chat detransformed and Plagg flew around.

"Urrrghh. Adrieeeen. I'm hungryyyy. Feed your wonderful kwami! Save my life." Plagg said falling into Adrien's hand.

Adrien rolled his eyes. "Plagg you're so dramatic."he said as he pulled out a wrapped piece of the best Camembert cheese. Plagg suddenly seemed to be full of energy as he pounced on the slice of cheese. Adrien waved the air. He really couldn't get over the stench, even though it had been years. Afterwards, Plagg flew into his pocket, satisfied and full. Adrien walked home with a light smile gracing his face.

He really couldn't help it. He had just had the happiest morning he had in a long time.

And he revelled in that happiness.

He entered the mansion and happily went to his room before flopping onto his couch. Plagg flew out and lay in Adrien's hair.

"Someone's in a good mood."

"Shush you." Adrien said grinning widely and covering his eyes with his forearm.

Plagg lifted up his chosen's forearm up and he peered down at the young man's happy face. He smiled too.

This was good. A happy Adrien was a calm Adrien.

Generally Adrien was never happy.

He turned in a fluid motion and caught Plagg with his hands.

"Plagg she hugged me."He said with a bright smile.

"She did." Plagg said, nodding.

"And she didn't pull away."

"Yes, she didn't."

"It made me really happy…"

Plagg tilted his head.

Adrien stared through the window.

"But now…"He began to frown.

"Chloe." Plagg said nodding.

"I can't believe she told everyone that…that…URGH!" Adrien growled, punching the side of the couch with his large fist.

"Do you want to speak to her?"

"What good will that do?" He asked Plagg with an exasperated look.

"Well for starters you'll know what exactly she's told people." Plagg reasoned. Suddenly his phone vibrated for a while before staying still on the table it lay on.

Adrien reached for it and groaned when he noticed 53 missed calls and 136 messages from Chloe.

He scrolled through everything distastefully. Unsurprisingly, each text was about herself, about her hair,how she hated the 'peasants', how her nails were looking so amazing. In fact there wasn't even a text that said 'Good Morning.'

It just started from, " _Oh my Gosh my hair is absolutely ruined. The weather here is disgusting."_

The phone began to ring, he looked at Plagg, Plagg looked back at him with determined eyes, and he waved his hands, telling Adrien to answer.

Adrien swiped the screen.

"ADRIKINS! I'm so annoyed!" Chloe shrieked.

"Good morning, Chloe."He said calmly.

"Urgh, these lower class weirdo's are so creepy.I can't believe they call this a five star hotel."

"I'm sorry that it upset's you." Adrien said with a frown, walking over to his window.

"And worse, that stupid baker didn't fall into my trap!" She screeched and threw something which sounded like a pillow.

Chloe had always talked about this 'Baker' person to him. She had never given him a name. He knew it was a girl though, and that Chloe hated this person with a passion.

"I should have seen it coming. That imbecile is always late for everything."

Adrien frowned…This was frowning all too familiar.

"The one who rises to make some bread. What were her parents thinking when they named her. Idiots,all of them,Oh , I'll get her."

Adrien froze.

His brain going into overdrive.

'Some bread' in French was the words Du Pain. 'The one who rises' was indeed _Marinette_ in French, and Marinette's last name was Dupain-Cheng…So if he translated the Cheng from Chinese it would mean 'to make some bread'. So Chloe was literally talking about Marinette.

He felt a surge of anger.

"What did you do?"He asked,closing his eyes.

"I got someone to put superglue on her seat. But she took so long to arrive that it dried and her pants didn't tear off like it was supposed to." Chloe ranted.

Adrien exhaled in relief, his princess was fine.

"I'll get her tomorrow."

 _That's what you think._

Adrien smirked, knowing that he could ruin her plan.

Plagg stared at him and Adrien remembered why he answered the call in the first place.

"Chloe, some rumours have been circulating, I want to know if they're true or not."He said suddenly.

"Urgh Adri-honey you know better than to speak while I'm talking to you." She berated.

"My apologies, but I really have to know the truth. You see Chloe, people are saying that you have told all of Paris that we are in a romantic relationship."

"Of course, we've been together for 6 years." Chloe said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Chloe, we have had a deal for six years, and telling people that we are together was not part of it."

"Awww Adrikins, you forget that you got me pregnant, that makes you and I a couple."

Adrien snarled.

"I don't know where you got that messed up reasoning but need I remind you that you say I can't wear a condom and you also refuse to use any contraceptive. How does that make it my fault?"

"Oh Adrien stop being so melodramatic, why do you care so much about what people think all of a sudden?" She snapped.

He paused. Well he didn't care about what people thought.

He cared about what Marinette thought.

"Chloe, I'm asking you to please revoke all those lies that you've spread."

"Okay, fine, then I tell them how you mercilessly raped me all these years."

Adrien pursed his lips. Of course she would lie. There was nothing he could do without tarnishing his father's name.

"Don't-"He started but was interrupted.

"I will not speak about this over the phone."

"Chloe, I'm not trying to start an argument, I just need you to make it clear to Paris that we are not together."

"You are not the boss of me Adrien Agreste, I can destroy you ,remember that."

Adrien exhaled. If there was ever a time he wished he could use cataclysm on her, it was now. Right on that smug face of hers.

"Chloe!For the love of… Chloe, this is going too far...I'm tired of it...Do you even think about how this makes me feel?"

"Feel?You don't feel anything."

"I'm feeling tired of this. I don't understand Chloe, I do what you ask me to,I never say no.I stay quiet. So why do you keep putting more and more strain on me?"

"Because you belong to me,I can do whatever I want."

"NO,I don't! I don't even like you!"He yelled.

"Of course you don't like me, you love me!Who wouldn't I'm Chloe bourgeous!"

Adrien blinked back angry tears.

"Chloe I've had enough of this."

"I hear you say one more thing and I will end you, all of Paris will despise you. Everyone will be disgusted by you...Oh and your father will hate you more than he already does!One word from me and all the privileges you have will be gone.I will make sure that the world knows you're disgusting. You think anyone will believe you? You think anyone will believe a boy nobody has even spoken to outside the studios? Think carefully about what you're doing,Adrikins."She said in a sickly sweet voice.

His body shook from his anger.

He wanted to retort.

To tell her that she could tell the whole world if she wanted to.

But he couldn't. He pictured the world, hating him, Marinette disgusted by him, his father so utterly disappointed with him.

And his retort died in his throat, as it always did.

"Now I'm tired of discussing this. I have more pressing matters. Have you been by the Boulangerie Patisserie lately?"

Adrien pushed his anger aside forcefully when he heard the name of Marinette's parent's bakery.

"I can't say I have…"He said.

"Well I sent two guys there yesterday to ruff the baker up a bit, but that stupid pompous Chat Noir attacked them! Can you believe it?"

Adrien blinked, so _she_ sent those guys.

"Anyway, rumor has it that her window guards were destroyed. The moron hasn't even put another set up. I mean how daft can you be?"Chloe said with a laugh.

"Hmmm…"

"I think I'll send in two more guys today. Oh!Got to go Adrikins, I have a massage waiting!"

With that she cut the call.

Adrien looked up at Plagg and sighed, he remained quiet and thoughtful for a minute, Plagg chose not to say anything.

Marinette's safety was being jeopardized daily. It frightened him.

"Plagg…Maybe it's safer if she gets new guards." He said.

Plagg flew around his head.

"How will you get in?" He asked the blonde.

Adrien frowned for a moment.

"It's very easy for someone to get to the third floor of the building. But the fourth floor, well it would be impossible for an ordinary human to get up to it. If I remember correctly, she does have a trapdoor leading to her personal balcony on the fourth floor."

"Okay so where is this going?" Plagg asked. Adrien sighed.

He walked over to the wall and tapped a button.

"Sir?" A butler's voice called through the intercom.

"Hello there, I need you to see to it that the third floor window on 12 Rue Gotlib street has new indestructible guards. Have it done by noon."

"Right away sir. "

"And nobody will hear about this."

"Hear about what? I haven't heard anything."

Adrien smirked.

The call ended.

Adrien sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"So much trouble for a girl." Plagg teased, propped up on his elbows. Adrien blushed, forgetting about the phone call with the _thing._

"Whatever, she's just a friend." Adrien said with a huff.

He paused,realization dawning on him.

A friend...

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm tired loverboy ."Plagg said with a yawn.

Adrien spluttered and turned red.

Plagg laughed. "Go to sleep Adrien, you need it if you plan to stay up all night again."

Adrien nodded and flopped onto the couch. Plagg lay spread-eagled next to him.

The two drifted into a dreamless sleep.

When Adrien woke up, it was 2:30 p.m and he felt so well rested. He stretched his arms above his head and took a shower.

Walking over to his mirror he inspected his back eye. The suit had accelerated the healing rate but hadn't fully removed it. There was no swelling at all, just a dark purple ring around his eye.

Unconsciously, he found himself smiling at it. Marinette really had a tiny fist didn't she?

He glanced at Plagg who was still asleep. He chose not to wake him up. He would never say it, but he knew that holding the transformation for that long was really draining Plagg's energy. He decided to read a book. After strolling up and down the shelves a few times, he settled on Pride and Prejudice.

He had read the book many times, but it never ceased to be amazing.

He curled up in his reading corner and opened the book.

About 3 hours later, he closed the book and ate a quick dinner. It was time to go check up on Marinette.

"Plagg?" He called, waving some Camembert in front of the kwami's face. Plagg's eyes shot open and he jumped on the cheese.

"Camemberrrrrtttt!"He squealed, swallowing the piece whole.

Adrien chuckled. "Ready to go?"

Plagg looked at him with a mouth full of cheese, nodding.

"Plagg, Transform me."

In a swirl of green light,he transformed and leaped out the window.

It was dark out, and eerily quiet.

He quickly darted across the rooftops and made it to the bakery, easily landing on Marinette's balcony, silently. He could hear Marinette moving about in the room below, humming happily.

Chat looked around the darkened streets.

He could make out the shapes of criminals, lurking in street corners in the distance. Thankfully not anywhere near the bakery. Still, he kept a watchful eye on the streets, expecting Chloe's cronies to emerge from any direction.

He stood on the edge of the balcony wall and jumped down onto the cold streets below.

"-why do I have to whack her? You whack her." He heard someone say.

"I don't wanna whack her, you whack her!"

"Okay maybe it will be easier if we can't see her face, she's got those innocent bluebell eyes, you know?"

"I know...Such a lovely bluebell...We should put a sack over her head."

"I don't think we should do this…"

"Me neither…She's such a cool person…"

Chat frowned as he heard their words. It seemed that perhaps Chloe was blackmailing them too.

Chat turned in the direction of the voices.

He made out a tall blonde man, about his height and another tall man with black hair.

They froze upon seeing him.

The raven-haired man gasped, stepping back.

"Oh shit."

"Hello, kittens." Chat said,tilting his head.

"Chat Noir…We were just…"The blond who spoke looked at his friend and stuttered.

"You were just what?" Chat asked,stepping towards them.

"Leaving!Yes we're going, don't mind us!" The black haired guy said with a laugh laced with anxiety.

"Not so fast.I'll let you live, if you tell me exactly who sent you." Chat asked,wanting to be certain.

Without hesitation, both boys replied at once.

"Chloe Bourgeois."

Chat smirked.

He pulled out his baton, and pressed record.

"Okay,say it again,who sent you to this bakery,and asked you to attack the inhabitant?"

"Chloe Bourgeois…She blackmailed us." The blond said as the black haired boy nodded quickly.

"Thank you, now scurry off before I change my mind about letting you live." He drawled. The boys wasted no time, running away immediately.

Chat smirked at his video footage.

Well, perhaps he could use this to his advantage…

He placed his baton behind his back and hopped up to Marinette's balcony once more.

The stars were out, forming little twinkling dots against a canvas that was painted matte black. A cool breeze tickled his skin, and he watched the Eiffel tower shine just as beautifully in the distance.

He sighed. Without most of its inhabitants, Paris was a wonderful place.

He closed his eyes, focusing on hearing Marinette in her room.

"What do you think Berry?"

A little chirp was heard.

"Well, I hope he comes a little later so that I can finish it without him seeing it. Where is that alley Chat anyway?" She asked berry.

Chat blushed, his eyes widening.

His princess was concerned about him.

"URGH,how is he even supposed to get it now that some person put these guards here!"She huffed.

"Owww!Stupid needle!"She hissed.

Chat smiled a little. Marinette was so thoughtful and caring. It was so pleasant that he didn't even know how to react.

He sat down on the sofa that seemed to be not used in years and took in the dejected look of the balcony. There were various rose bushes, and flower pots, but all the plants were dead.

Chat frowned,a sad feeling washing over him.

It was clear that Marinette really loved this balcony,her sofa looked worn from being sat on constantly, and a faded spot on the floor near the balcony wall revealed that Marinette must have stood there a lot.

So why did she stop coming up here?

Then it hit him like a bucket of ice water.

The crime.

It must have scared her to the extent of making her stop coming up to the place that she clearly loved so much.

He couldn't be one to talk though,seeing as he was the most brutal villain in Paris.

He chuckled a little, she was overly cautious, this level was inaccessible unless you had some sort of power.

He heard Marinette go downstairs and put the T.V on.

"-seems that Chat Noir is becoming even more brutal with his attacks.A man was found yesterday evening outside a jewellery store. The store wishes not to be named but the owner has said that he had never seen something so disturbing before. The man was found, completely covered in blood and claw marks with deep slashes. Paramedics were able to revive the man and risked their lives by going to the scene to retrieve the man during crime time. Here's what one of them had to say: " _It was really bad, his face was unrecognizable, it was hard to even tell if he was human. Most of his ribs were broken. His arms and legs looked fractured too. His jaw seems to be dislocated. It will be a miracle if he survives this to be honest. We aren't sure about the state of his internal organs but if the outside was anything to go by then his insides may very well be mutilated too."_ The wife of the victim was distraught and devastated. Here's what she had to say, " _My husband is a good man. He's a great father and an amazing husband...Chat Noir, you are pathetic-"_

Chat couldn't help but snort at her words. The silly woman didn't even know the truth.

" _-and words cannot describe just how vile you are. You really deserve to rot in hell you demon. You are the worst kind of evil-"_

Chat chuckled. "Awww, how you flatter this cold heart."He said dramatically to himself.

"- _and someday you're going to realize exactly how it feels for someone you love to be hurt!..Mark my words. I'm not afraid of you. You're just a monster!Monsters will ALWAYS be defeated."_

The women's voice was cut off as Marinette turned off the T.V, she was quiet for a moment

Chat frowned at the woman's words about someone he loved being hurt…It caused a weird feeling to pool in his tummy.

Marinette came back to her room and continued to work silently.

Chat decided not to enter her room till she was asleep. He was weary of what she would think of him after she heard that broadcast. After 6 hours of laying on the couch, he heard her even breaths from below.

She was asleep.

He used a claw to pick the lock on the trapdoor, it was a complicated lock, and he let out a meow of frustration,it opened eventually and slowly, he peaked inside.

He wasn't as precautious as Marinette, so he closed the trapdoor behind him, not locking it.

He knew the crime game, and nobody would be able to reach the balcony, and frankly, if you had not been inside Marinette's room, you would never know there was a trapdoor there.

Chat tilted his head as he bent down to take in his princess's beautiful sleeping face. She looked exhausted, and her fingers had plasters on them.

He picked up one of her hands, inspecting the damage.

It didn't seem so bad, just a few pokes.

Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, he sighed.

He had no right to be here.

He was everything that she was not…

And yet he couldn't find the strength to run off. He knew they still weren't close…But for the first time in a long time, someone treated him like a person…

It was overwhelming…but it made him feel good.

His eye caught sight of something in her left hand. It was a little gift-wrapped package.

He picked it up and stared at the label curiously.

It was labelled :For Chat.

Below the beautiful writing was a little smiley face with blue pigtails.

He had never gotten something in gift-wrap.

Gift bags yes, but not gift-wrap.

Gift-wrap meant you took time and effort to cover the gift.

It made Chat feel incredibly excited and special.

He smiled at the sleeping bluenette appreciatively and slowly opened the gift-wrap, refusing to tear it, and having every intention of keeping the wrap forever.

Finally, he saw what was inside.

Two beautiful hand-made plushies, one was Chat Noir, and one was Marinette.

The smile on his face couldn't be contained as he placed a gloved hand over his mouth as a small laugh escaped.

She had even gone as far as making his mouth look like a horizontal 3, with a snuggle tooth on the plushy. But what really amused him was the tiny plushy quiche and the tiny pan. He picked up the Marinette plushy. It was beautiful, but it didn't do her justice.

He still loved it regardless.

He looked down at Marinette whose eyes were still closed.

Words could not describe what he felt right now. In fact,he wasn't even sure what he was feeling.

It was okay though, he didn't need words.

But he found himself learning close to her face, and with a quick glance at her closed eyes, he placed a slow,gentle kiss on her cheek.

"Thank you." he said, backing away slowly.

He jumped down to the chaise, taking his plushies with him, hugging them all protectively.

He lay down on the chaise and continued to smile, but he turned when he heard the slow, sleepy voice of Marinette.

"You're welcome,Chaton."She said.

Chat blinked.

Chaton?

Hmm…

He was not prepared to be friendly to the rest of Paris.

But Marinette was a special case…

Well,in such a case, then her Chaton - and hers alone- he shall be.

 **A/N:Okay before you guys kill me for taking this long to update,forgive me!I had such a long exhausting week!I'm sorry, but I'm so glad you guys enjoyed the last chapter!Thank you all so much for the views,reviews, follows,and faves. I love responding to you guys!**

 **Oh and guest reviewers, is it possible for me to respond to your review when I'm moderating them?It will look like this:**

 **...**

 **poop465pup**

 **I enjoyed this!**

 **Authors response:Aww I'm so glad you did!**

 **...**

 **P.S, is that allowed?**

 **Anywhoooo guys check out the temporary profile of the story done by CearaDragon :D Awesome right?**

 **Yes art would be much appreciated! :p**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter, I joined two chapters because I made you guys wait.**

 **Please REVIEW!I love feedback so so much!Anyway, its 2:45 a.m in RSA right now, I should sleep -_-, ttyl!**

 **XOXO**

 **Ra Ra**


	10. Wanted

**NOTE:PLEASE READ AUTHORS NOTE AT CHAPTER END**

 **Plagg's POV**

Being more than a dozen centuries or so old, I've seen a whole lot. Weirdos in gigantic poofy dresses, caves filled with gold, a couple of loud-mouthed genies who FYI are over-rated because I'm the best and awesomest and funniest and amazing..est magical deity out there.

…And I'm travel sized – Just saying.

Things hardly phase me. Up until the 21st century, I'll admit,I thought I had seen almost everything, the 16th century and 18th were really crazy, but let me tell you, if you want to witness messed up, then the 21st century is the place to be.

Being an old fossil has really seen me through a whole lotta heroes. In my opinion my kittens are the best from all of them, firstly because I really make the most awesome suit. Seriously,I'm amazing. Tikki thinks her spots are better, whatever,I give my kittens a baton not a lame yoyo!

And I always got the craziest and cheekiest chosens.

But the 21st century…Oh, yes I got a crazy one alright.

Stark-raving-mad crazy.

I remember the night I got him…

It all began on a warm,lazy autumn evening. I was actually just relaxing in our cozy little Miraculous box when Old man Fu dropped the bombshell on me.

See, when the Miraculous' aren't in use, we just lay dormant and sleepy in them, but our conscious minds float around a little magical space-That is if the miraculous Jewel is in Fu's magical box of course. It's kind of like a little world, kwami live there when they're not in use, but when our jewel is put on, we pop out.

Trixx the Fox kwami and Tikki the Ladybug kwami were playing in a small stream while Bzz the bee kwami looked on as she munched on some flowers. Wayzz was with Fu.

I was just minding my own business , really, don't believe anything the other kwami tell you, I'm a little angel.

Suddenly, Fu called. It was weird, because we had been lying dormant for a good 60-70 years. So hearing him suddenly call out to us…Well, you can imagine our shock.

Naturally, Tikki had always been the smartest, and nicest, prettiest, sweetest and most responsible Kwami – That is after yours truly, so upon hearing The old man's voice she perked up immediately and asked him what's wrong.

"A lot of things, Tikki. A whole lot." He said.

"Like what?" Tikki asked and I flew next to my partner.

"For starters, I have found your chosens…" He said and we all gasped in delight.

"But…"We all groaned. There was always the 'but'.

"But?" Tikki asked tentatively.

"They're all wrong." He replied.

"All wrong? They're the chosens, how can they be wrong?" I asked.

Trixx and Bzz floated behind us as we talked to the Voice coming from the Mortal world.

"Well, one of the chosen ones is sick and until he gets better the other chosen's won't be on par." He said.

"What, you mean like, athletes foot or hayfever of something?" I asked.

"Athletes foot isn't even a sickness."Bzz said to Trixx. I rolled my eyes.

"No, I mean that one of the chosens is facing something that is devouring their sanity, and they're losing touch with their humanity, they dislike humans."

"Ooooohhhh, bad kitten, meoooww. Sound's fuuuuun."I said chuckling, stopping when Tikki abruptly smacked my head. I was only trying to lighten the mood, seeing as one of us would have to be the unlucky one to tackle the chosen. We have all had our share of turns to help change some of our chosens from menaces to something miraculous. It generally didn't take long, with the right coaxing, it wasn't too hard. But I had drawn the short end of the stick being the kwami of bad luck, and most of the time, I got the bad chosen who needed to be changed to good. In fact for the past three centuries straight, I had to coax my chosen to become good.

"I'm glad you think so, Plagg, because this sick chosen is yours." Fu said.

If my big beautiful eyes could get larger than they already were, they would have popped out of my head.

Villains I could deal with, but sick?

Tikki snickered and I glared. In all honesty, she was better suited to help these kinds of chosen, she was the mushy, cuddly one.

I was the sexy feline beast.

I hissed. "Fu, this makes the fourth century in a row that I'm getting the bad one." I said.

"Plagg, you know that generally the Black Cat chosen ones will be the villainous ones as they have a chain link with your traits of Bad luck and destruction."

"Oh geez, that's great." I said.

"It's not so bad Plagg, I mean at least this one is just a bit emotionally abused, it could have been worse." Tikki said, assuming that's what Fu meant…Oh, we had no idea at the time what he truly meant…

"Whatever the case, Plagg, you need to fix him so that he becomes the perfect partner for the next Lady-luck."

'Lady-luck' is what we nicknamed Tikki's chosen ones, against her will however because she preferred 'Ladybug'.

"You say he's sick Fu…How do we know that he won't use the powers for evil." Tikki asked. She had a valid point. The villains in the past had done it, but all of them had some strong humanitarian thing about them, or someone they desperately wanted to keep safe, making it easy for them to turn. This kitten disliked humans.

"Oh, well he's definitely going to be evil for a while."

"WHAT?A while?" I shrieked.

"To be honest, I think it will be a long time. But you have to trust me on this. He is the chosen one for this century. It has to be him."

"Fu he may hurt people." Tikki cried out in horror.

"I know…But the rest of this generation would never be even as half as suitable for lady-luck. You know very well that Plagg's chosen HAS to be the soulmate of your chosen Tikki, and because Plagg's darkness links perfectly with his chosen and your kindness links with your chosen, they are soulmates, therefore this boy is 100% the chosen one for the black cat miraculous. I have tested him as well, and I have noted that despite himself, he is a pure hearted individual." He said.

Urgh. This whole soulmate thing really complicated things, but it was the most accurate and reliable way to pick a chosen. Generally, for the cat and ladybug chosen ones, we found the couple in the century that had or would in future have the fiercest love for each other.

It was awesome being the soulmate of the cutest and nicest and smartest and prettiest and most amazing kwami, but I gotta admit, it was shitty almost always getting the bad guy because she was the pure, lucky and good one.

Nevertheless, we're yin and yang,so that's the way it has to be.

"Does this mean we're all going to our chosen's soon?" Trixx asked.

"Not exactly…You see, Plagg's chosen is going to be much too dangerous for anyone but Lady-luck to handle." Fu said.

"So I have to fight against Plagg?" Tikki asked wearily.

"No, even then, he could hurt your chosen, Tikki and possibly even hurt you. Plagg needs to change him before I bring Lady-luck in." Fu said.

"I'm wounded, you think I'd hurt my Tikki." I said, falling dramatically.

Trixx and Tikki smacked their heads.

"I don't get how you're so fine with the fact that you're basically giving a moron powers to become a super villain, especially knowing what that could do to Paris, which, need I remind you, is getting more and more dangerous by the day Fu. What if he kills someone?"Bzz said.

"Now now, Bzz. We all know the Miraculous kwami can prevent that easily and will never allow the chosen to really kill someone. I know you all can't control the violence they inflict while transformed but it's practically impossible for them to kill while in the suit."

"Yeah but what if like someday it actually happens that the Miraculous' jewels can't control the chosen's urge to kill the victim, what if it's too strong?"

"Has it ever gotten to the point where the Chosen was too strong for the Kwami to override?"

"Guys, firstly, you all are confusing the shit out of me with this urge-ey stuff. Stop being smart-asses and making it sound fancy, basically we have no control over their violence but we can override their need to kill." I started.

"Plagg." Tikki groaned.

"Secondly, if this boy's the chosen then we really can't change that." I said.

"True."Trixx said.

"So I might as well get out there before he gets to a point where he tries to do something like kill himself." I said.

"This may take a few years Plagg, he will use the powers for evil as soon as the suit covers his skin and he won't truly change until he actually meets his soul mate."Fu said.

"So until then, what do I do?" I asked.

"Give him the freedom to make his own choices." Fu said.

"In other words you're going to be bossed around." Tikki giggled.

"That shouldn't be hard seeing as I have the bossiest soul mate of all who I've been forced to slave under and be side-kick to since the beginning of time." I said with a pointed look. Tikki huffed.

"Once he meets her, he'll start changing. I'm sure of it. But he needs the freedom, even if it means citizens being attacked, eventually Lucky Charm will fix everything. We can't have a chosen killing themselves because they feel trapped. I cannot stress to you how important it is that you help him vent Plagg."

"So I have to just let him attack people."

Fu nodded.

"You're crazy old man. This is too dangerous." I said, stunned at how sensible I sounded.

"It will work. Everything will change when they meet." Fu said.

"You're still crazy."

"After he falls in love with her, we'll send in Tikki."Fu continued.

"He is crazy." Tikki said shaking her head and leaning to whisper in my ear.

"I'll let you say your goodbyes. You will be sent in this evening." Fu said.

"But it's already evening!" I said.

"My bad, in thirty minutes." he said.

Tikki rolled her eyes. I huffed.

This was so not going to be fun at all.

After half an hour of Tikki lecturing me about safety, not overeating, being nice, allowing the chosen to do as he pleased and staying hidden, we all said our goodbyes.

I gave Tikki a hug and before I could say anything, I felt myself being sucked out of the Kwami world.

Sitting inside the Miraculous when it was not in the miraculous box was NOT fun.

When the jewel is taken away from the box, you can't go into the kwami world, which sucked because unfortunately I have a very curious nature and when I'm awake I love mischief and creeping Tikki out.

To sit alone without my friends was not really fun, especially because I kind of missed Tikki's annoying voice.

In my ring, it was Dark. It wasn't exactly a nice place to be in.

One upside though was that I could clearly hear the outside mortal world.

"Plagg, remember the rules." Fu said to me. I couldn't respond, but I understood.

"Goodbye for now Plagg. Be strong."

Be strong?

What do I have to be strong for?

He made it sound like I was about to experience something awful or torturous.

I sighed and waited for something to happen, and after an hour I felt myself being sucked out of the ring.

"No way…Like the genie in the lamp!" A blond haired boy said.

There it was again, a chosen comparing me to a lame ass genie.

"Big deal! I'm way more personable! Plagg. Nice to meet you. Ooh swinky!"

"No don't touch that!" The blonde said, jumping after me as I flew off. We continued in that manner for a while before he caught me.

"I still don't know what you're doing here."

"Look,I'm a kwami. I grant powers. Yours is the power of destruction of destruction, got it? Good. Now,you got anything to eat? I'm starving!"I say.

His frown deepened.

"My dad's pranking me,right? Wait he couldn't be. He has no sense of humor."

I look at him, in what I think is a serious way.

"Your father must never know I exist! Or anyone for that matter."

The blonde laughed dejectedly.

"It's not like I have anyone who I _can_ talk about you to." He said.

"Alright kid, let's talk about trans-"

"Adriiiiikiiiinnnns!"Someone called from the hallway outside the room.

Fear flashed in his eyes.

"Your name is Adrikins? That's awful."I said distastefully.

"Glad you feel the same way." He says, his emerald eyes look panicked.

"Adrikins open the doorrrrr!"

He jumped up and looked at me with pursed lips and a thoughtful glance.

It made me feel uncomfortable.

He couldn't have been more than 14.A look that…mature…should not have been on him.

"Plagg, you really couldn't have come at a worse time." He said, glancing at the door.

"What, are you doing drugs or something?" His eyes snapped towards me.

"What?NO!"He said, and he paced.

"Adri-honey, open up!"The voice called.

"Just a minute Chloe!" He called back.

"Adri-honey?" I asked with a snort.

"It's one of the worser-ones."He said, picking up the miraculous box.

He looked for a place to hide it.

"Put the ring on kid." I say and he obediently listened.

He eyed me. "Urm Plagg, Fly up to the top of the Trophy Cabinet and hide. You said nobody must know about you or see you right?" He asked.

"Smart kid." I say,and I looked at the large trophy cabinet next to his bed.

He glanced at the door.

Nothing seemed sick or off about him. Maybe Fu miscalculated…

"I'm almost done Chloe!" He calls when a growl was heard from the other side of the door.

"Plagg, tonight some stuff may happen…Just stay up there okay." He says.

"Is someone being naughtyyyy?"I teased, his eye twitched.

He exhaled and slowly walked to his door. He turned the key.

The door flew open.

"Oh Adrikins! What took you so long?" Another blonde said, throwing herself at the teen.

I stuck my tongue out. Their hair color and heights looked almost identical. What, was this incest or something? Fu was right, Adrikins was sick…

"I was just tidying up."

She pushed him aside and walked into his room, taking a seat on his bed.

She started removing her jacket revealing a, well, revealing shirt.

I raised a brow.

She seemed very bold…

"So your dad isn't home. Nathalie and the gorilla either. And most of the butlers are asleep." She said, taking off her shoes.

What was she doing?...

"I need to talk to you Chloe…"he says.

"Then talk." She said, taking the sunglasses on her pale hair off.

He took a deep breath.

"I'm not going to be doing this anymore. I refuse." He said.

This? What was 'this'?

Her eyebrows furrowed.

"Then I'm going to phone your dad and tell him that you were the one who broke the brooch." She said smugly.

"Do it then, I don't care. This is wrong. This is messed up. I can't handle it. You can't make me do this. I refuse to be controlled by you any longer. My dad doesn't even love me, and there's nothing he can do that can make me feel worse than he already does. So tell him. Phone him and tell him. I have nothing left to lose." Adrien said, his eyes were burning.

My curiosity was overflowing at this point.

"Really?Is that what you think Adrien?" She laughed smugly.

Adrien, his name was Adrien.

I shivered. And I don't generally shiver.

"You know, Adrien, rape is not something looked at in a dull light in Paris. In fact, it's actually very much frowned upon."

Adrien stood rigidly.

"And just imagine if the victim was the Mayor's daughter?" She said silkily.

He inhaled sharply. I felt my own eyes widen, confused. Was Adrien a rapist?

"How dare you!"He suddenly shouted.

"After forcing yourself on me, after blackmailing me for two years, after everything, you're going to twist the story and make it like I raped _you_? YOU molest me! I have never ever wanted to do _anything_ with you! And you keep forcing me! I'm 14 Chloe! We're CHILDREN! Children don't do this!" He shouted, there were tears in his eyes.

Suddenly everything clicked, and I felt my face contort in disgust.I stared at the blonde girl in horror.

She snorted.

"No, we're _teenagers-"_

"Just barely! What is wrong with you?!" He suddenly asked, his tears spilled.

She smirked.

"Not as much than there is with you. Now you have two choices. You either agree to shut up, strip and obey. Or you could say no, and I will have all of Paris know about your crime. Daddy will have you jailed, or executed perhaps if I wish it, and likewise for your father."

Execution wasn't even legal.

Adriens tears fell unafraid of her mentions of execution but too hurt to speak.

He was seemingly unafraid of her mentions of execution, but more upset about what she was trying to accuse him of.

"The world will hate you, and your father will be disgusted."

Adrien was silent.

"And your mum? Well we know she's just disappeared, not dead, imagine her reaction to finding out that her only son is a perverse pig."

Adrien stared at the ground.

"I bet daddy dearest will be even more disappointed in you."

"Nobody will believe you, because nobody really wants you, Adrien. Didn't you notice that your dad stays away from you as much as possible? Nathalie sighs every time you come near her. Ha! Even your mum didn't want to be anywhere near you! You're good looking, that's all there is. That's all Paris wants. I'm the only one who wants you, but if you refuse me, I will destroy that faint chance that you have with anyone of them seeing you as more than a pawn."

Adrien closed his eyes.

I was horrified.

I mean, just who did this cow think she was?

"I'm giving you 7 seconds."

I looked at Adrien's face. I wanted him to say something, to fight for his rights…But he didn't.

He just looked at the floor as he began to take off his clothes. I looked back and forth between the two.

"I thought so." That whore said.

"No…"I whispered, Adrien glanced at me for the slightest second, his dull eyes startled me.

Saying anything would alert Chloe to my presence…

But doing nothing made me as bad as her.

Adrien nudged his head, begging me to go back inside the trophy… His eyes pleaded, and against my feelings, I flew back to the trophy.

The next twenty minutes were the longest I have ever had to endure. And I know a lot about endurance, I get stuck in a miraculous for hours and hours till the chosen detransforms.

I felt sick. It was so wrong, it was disgusting.

I would have left humanity behind too if I were him.

When Chloe was done she leaned down and forced a kiss on his lips, she left the room, and then everything was quiet.

A broken boy slipped off the bed and stumbled to the bathroom, slamming the door.

I flew through his bathroom door after him.

Normally seeing a human naked revolted me, because like…eww.

But looking at the child in the corner made me feel nothing but sympathy.

I didn't even like humans that much, however seeing the sobs that wracked his body…It was frightening.

His body tremor-ed and twitched and his breaths sounded strangled. He was gasping for breath and his tears were not ending. He was holding his knees with one arm and pulling at his hair with the other. His body was covered in sweat and his eyes were open, but unseeing. He started groaning and he held his chest, trying to crawl further back into the dark corner of the bathroom.

He was having an anxiety attack.

"Kid! Kid! Adrien,hey!" I tried to get his attention, he wasn't responding. He just continued to breathe frantically and cry.

He looked around the ceiling, searching for something that I had no clue about. Hot tears shimmered in his eyes as he gritted his teeth.

He suddenly stood up and stumbled to the mirror, his face was contorted, his eyes screwed shut. His hands were spread out on the marble sink as he trembled and his eyes opened to look at his disheveled reflection.

Something flashed in his eyes.

"I hate you." He said to the mirror.

He stepped back a bit.

"I hate you. I hate you. I hate you, I HATE YOU!" He screamed, grabbing one of the ornamental statues from a shelf on the wall. He threw it with extreme force at the mirror.

The mirror shattered and the white statue smashed to pieces.

…but that wasn't enough for him…

I stared at him with wide eyes as he walked over to the mirror.

He began to punch what was left of the reflective glass, the skin on his shaking hands getting sliced in the process. His blood was beginning to drip down his arms.

He choked out a sob, and let out a pained wail, dropping to the floor, pulling at his blond hair, staining it with scarlet blood.

He began to mutter to himself as he trembled. He gritted his teeth and wrapped his arms around himself as if that would help him pull himself together…

He was silent for the slightest of seconds as his elegant- but cut up - hand scooped up some bits of glass, and he eyed them.

How was I supposed to know what to do? I had cocky kittens. I never had broken ones.

He was a baby, but he was being exploited and harmed, and it was consuming and destroying him.

He popped the glass shards in his mouth.

I had enough. This was…I didn't even know what this was.

With all my strength, I rammed his stomach, forcing him to spit out the glass, hoping that he actually did spit it all out. His mouth was now bleeding, and blood dripped from the corners of his mouth, mixed with saliva.

I flew in front of his face.

"Adrien!" I suddenly shouted, it had almost been 20 minutes and he hadn't calmed down.

He suddenly looked up at me, as if seeing I was in the bathroom with him for the first time. His red rimmed and puffy eyes haunted me, but I suddenly knew why Fu paired me with Adrien.

He literally and desperately needed the freedom that came with being the black cat because he was trapped in a sphere of beings that had little humanity at all.

I could figure the rest when the time came…But at that moment, Adrien needed something. He needed to get out of the sphere of receiving pain.

Fu said Lucky charm would fix everything didn't he?

I could risk it. Fu said this needed to happen.

As much as I knew that as soon as the suit covered his body he would seek revenge, I _knew_ that it needed to happen.

"How would you like freedom Adrien?" I asked.

He choked on his saliva.

"I can't ha-have any! S-stop taunti-ing me! Y-you all just want t-to use me!" He hiccupped.

"Kid, do I look like I'm anything like her?" I asked loudly as he covered his ears and rocked back and forth.

"What have I d-done? Why m-me? Is th-there a fault in me that th-this happ-pens to me?"

I didn't know how to respond.

"I'm a jok-ke…Go on Plagg!Laugh at me!"He demanded and laughed dementedly.

"I mod-de-del to be there f-for him 'cause mama's gone! I'm trying so hard…so why? Why doesn't he love me? Why doesn't he care? Why doesn't he s-stop her? Why doesn't he want me? Why doesn't he care? Why does nobody care? Nobody will b-believe me. Nob-body hears me! Nobody hears me! Nobody hears me! I want it to end! Make me forget! Let me forget." He suddenly started slamming his head on the wall behind him.

I had to grab his face and close-up on him to get him to stop.

"Adrien, listen to me, that's enough." I said sternly.I hated being the level-headed one, but it seemed that's what was required of me.

He gazed at me brokenly.

I glanced at his shoulders and chest. Ugly red scratch and nail marks marred the tanned skin. I didn't want to even think about what his back looked like.

A few hours in the suit would fix those scratches and bleeding fists,and heal his tummy if he did actually swallow glass.

"I will give you freedom, I promise you."

His eyes bore into mine.

"And I know what's going to happen when you get it…But one day in the future, you will change your mind about becoming what you will in a few days...I understand kid…I won't blame you for anything. But every day try to find yourself, and don't let her get to you."

"I don't understand…"

"When you transform, go out into the streets, run, jump, do what you must. The Baton will help. I will teach you the rest later."

"Wha-wait, Plagg are you even real? I have to be dreaming you up…"

This was necessary.

"Say Plagg, transform me."  
"Why must I say Plagg Transform me?"

I felt myself being zapped into the ring.

Everything would work out. Tikki and her chosen would save Adrien. I just needed to keep him from killing himself until such time.

Everything was quiet for a moment.

"Wha-what? Cla-claws?Mask? Plagg?"He called.

I heard him breathe evenly, this was good.

"Plagg, urm…"

He took a deep breath.A sturdying breath.

It wouldn't be long before he literally became the black cat of destruction.

And oh, he became it alright.

After that night, he learned to handle his anxiety, but I knew he was just suppressing it, not curing it, I knew someday the suppressed monster of anxiety and fear would hit him, and then, perhaps even the suit wouldn't be able to help him. He began to use Chat Noir as a persona to combat his pain, and I let him.

I often asked him if he changed his mind.

His answer was always no.

But just the other day, something crazy happened.

We met his soul mate, face to face.

Well, more like face to pan, but you get the picture.

Finally, after four years of waiting, after four years of slowly losing hope, after four years of wondering if she even existed, she finally showed up, and saw right through the façade of his mask and emerald eyes.

All it took was a look.

And already, his fate has begun to change…

NORMAL POV

Around 3:00 a.m Chat had fallen asleep on the chaise.

His right arm protectively held his plushies, his left dangled over the edge.

It was now 3:30 and a petite bluenette stared down at the man, a slight frown marring her face.

She crouched before laying on the floor. Chat's finger twitched in his sleep.

Marinette sighed as she saw him hug the dolls.

He was still a pure soul under everything, no matter what the news said.

Her hand found its way into his hair, and again she petted till she fell asleep.

Just a few minutes afterward, Chat's left eye opened as he awoke.

His eye zoned in on the hand in his hair and he blinked a few times.

Eventually, he yawned, and sleepily pulled the hand to his face, unconsciously rubbing his cheek on it.

He held it there all night,and for the first time in a long time, he felt wanted.

 **A/N: NO THIS IS NOT THE MAIN BREAKDOWN,ITS JUST ONE OF THE BREAKDOWNS.  
DONT GO TO THE CHAPTER AFTER THIS IF YOU ARENT A GUEST REVIEWER COZ ITS A CHAPTER OF RESPONDING TO REVIEWS ONLY.**

 **Hey guys!I hope you enjoyed this!TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE!Forgive the typos because I don't feel too grand and my eyes really hurt.**

 **If I missed something or if FF chopped words out, please tell me.**

 **Dang guys!Those reviews were so amazing!Thank you thank you thank you!I'm sorry for not replying to them sooner, as some of the authors may know, wasn't like showing our reviews, the review count was going up, but when checking the chapter stats, no new reviews were there.**

 **I'm seriously sorry!I love you all so I hope you didn't get mad!Anyway thank you to everyone who read,reviewed,faved and followed, you rock!**

 **IMPORTANT NOTE FOR GUEST REVIEWERS!**

 **Okay so as you know, I love my reviewers,and I don't think it's fair that I can't reply to you so here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to have THE NEXT chapter dedicated to guest reviews,answering and replying to you.**

 **It will have a response to every guest who has reviewed previous chapters aswell as the chapters to come.**

 **So make sure to check it out if you have left a guest review,okay?**

 **Please review this before you go there :(**

 **Anyway, I have a whole bunch to do before Christmas,and I have to go to work tomorrow so I'm gonna rest.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!Thank you for reading!Ttyl!**

 **XOXO**

 **Ra Ra**


	11. GUEST REVIEWERS ONLY

**A/N:** **MUST READ**

 **Hey all you amazing people!Ra Ra here!Okay so, as I've said previously,I really feel the need to respond to you guys, so here it is!**

 **I will respond to everyone, right from the reviews of the first chapter, so If you have reviewed in the past, this chapter will have a response from me to your guest for future chapters.**

 **OKAY SO HERES HOW THIS WILL GO DOWN:**

 **The chapter that you reviewed will be in Bold words/your review (I won't edit them because I want you to instantly recognise your review)will be converted to italic, and mine will be in normal font. After every review you will see a number and the next review.**

 **That means my response ends there for that review.**

 **Feel free to ask questions guys! This chapter is for you, it will be updated every time I post a chapter, so keep an eye out for a response okay?**

 **I hope you guys are happy with this, so without further ado, let's have some fun! :D**

 **CHAPTER ONE:**

1) _chiken_ _chapter 1 . Nov 18_

 _YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS THIS IS AMAZING!  
I FUCKING LOVE IT!  
I need more supervillan!Chat Noir  
Im beyond excited and interested to see where this goes. I've read some AUs like this and I loved all of them.I cant wait to see what you come up with!  
Until then,Cant wait till the next chapter!_

Hey there! :D I'm so glad you thought so! Trust me, you will be getting much, much more of our kitty!I hope you're enjoying the story so far!It's great to have you on board!Thank you so so so much for reviewing, you rock!

2) _Anna_ _chapter 1 . Nov 18_

 _This is really interesting, can't wait for the next chapter :)_

Hey there Anna! :D I'm happy you think so!I hope you're enjoying the fic,and thank you so much for reviewing it!

 _3)_ _Guest_ _chapter 1 . Nov 18_

 _This is amazing , keep going :)_

Thank you! :') I surely will! And thank you for reviewing this!

4) _Miralove_ _chapter 1 . Nov 18_

 _I TOTALLY enjoy. Your fanfic is sooo awesome, tan increible. You need to continur because I love it with just the first chapter_

Hey there Miralove! I'm so excited that you feel that way! :D I will definitely continue, and I hope that even as it goes along you will still love it! Thank you for reviewing :D

5 _)_ _Dreamloverdover_ _chapter 1 . Nov 18_

 _This is awesome!I can't wait to see what you come up with in future chapters!Once again,This is up the great work :D_

I glad you think so! I hope you've been enjoying the chapters, thank you again :D And thank you for reviewing :')

6) _Spiked Dragon_ _chapter 1 . Nov 18_

 _It's actually quite a good first chapter, maybe in the next chapter it could be about Adrien and Plagg meeting, and Chat Noir giving Chloe the scratches she so rightfully deserves( I don't like Chloe)._

Hey! I was actually really worried that people didn't really enjoy it that much…I'm sorry the next chapter wasn't about that, but I hope that chapter 10 made up for it! :D I don't like her either, and I'm kind of peeved that she's getting the Bee Miraculous in the show -_- Anyways, thank you so much for your review! :'D

 _7)_ _Aurieii_ _chapter 1 . Nov 19_

 _Nice ;)_

Hiiii! I'm glad you thought so! Thank you so much for reviewing it!

8 _)_ _Lolilust_ _chapter 1 . Nov 19_

 _Can he meet her again while she save his civilian self from Chloe?_

Hmm, that's a secret, but it's always a possibility ;) :P Thank you so much for your review question!

9) _Guest_ _chapter 1 . Nov 19_

 _Oh my GOODNESSS! Im already in LOVE with this story! Ims so excited to see what happens next! Please please PLEASE continue soon. I love bad boy chat noir. Doesent it make you melt? It happens to me (loving sigh) anyway aweasome story so far. I love everything about this story! Until next time spots on claws out!- wonderful weirdo_

Hey there wonderful weirdo! Ra Ra here :D I'm so glad that you're loving it!I will continue, I purromise. YES!I adore him! Thank you so much :') And thank you for reviewing!

10 _)_ _Guest_ _chapter 1 . Nov 27_

 _mooooore give me moooooooore btw I love this version where chats the villain_

Hi! I will I will, cat's honor! I love it a lot too, I couldn't resist making a fic because of that very reason LMAO! Thank you so so much for reviewing :D

11) _MissfanFic0405_ _chapter 1 . Dec 11_

 _Update? Unless life got into the way, if course..but its Sunday today/tomorrow, so maybe you'll have free time?_

Life did get in the way, but I'm so thankful that you all patiently waited for the chapter regardless of it being a bit late :') I love you guys :D Thank you so much for you review! It made me feel so honoured to know that people actually wait to read the chapter, so thank you, you rock!

12 _)_ _Big Fan_ _chapter 1 . 17h ago_

 _I love how you made chat noir a villain! You did a really good job on the first chapter._

Hey! Thanks :D I'm so pleased that you liked it! Thank you so much for reviewing it! :'D

13 _)_ _MissfanFic0405_ _chapter 1 . 13h ago_

 _Please update soon. If you've got enough time, no rush if you haven't. I can't wait for chapter 12, seriously though! I probably check twice every hour to see if there's an update. With similar time zones, I might know the times to update, reasonable times, such as one in the morning. Just kidding! Take your time, but expect me to be here when you do update. ; )_

Updated! :D Hope you enjoy chapter 12!Can't wait to hear your thoughts on it!Thank you so much for reviewing Miss! :D

14 _)_ _Big Fan_ _chapter 1 . Dec 21_

 _I love how you made chat noir a villain! You did a really good job on the first chapter._

I'm glad you love it! Really? :D Thank you!And thank you so much for reviewing!

 **CHAPTER 2:**

1) _Lisbeth_ _chapter 2 . Nov 20_

 _Can't wait for next XD XD XD XD Plz post SOON :)_

Hi there Lisbeth!Ra Ra here! I hope you enjoyed chapter three,and thank you so much for your enthusiasm! I love it! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D

2) _Guest_ _chapter 2 . Nov 20_

 _Ok let me just saw that i was so happy to see the next chapter! While reading this entire chapter i couldnt breath! I was too over whelmed and happy. And just between you and me i was fanning myself and entirly screaming in my mind i love this story so much! I cant wait for the next i will keep looking for this story every day! Keep up with the great work you have here!- wonderful wierdo_

Hey again!:D Omg!Wow, I'm so happy that you enjoyed it so much! That's awesome, thank you so much! Thank you for your support, it means a whole lot to me :') I will! And thank you so much for reviewing! :D

3 _)_ _Don'thaveanact_ _chapter 2 . Nov 23_

 _OMG I LOVE THIS! CONTINUE THE GREAT WRITING! :D_

Thank you! That makes me so happy! I will :D Thank you so much for reviewing!

4) _Cami_ _chapter 2 . Dec 8_

 _*claps like a seal until her hands start bleeding*_

*Gasp* *Hands you next chapter so your hands stop bleeding* XD Thank you so much for this review!It made me laugh!

 **CHAPTER 3:**

1) _Miralove_ _chapter 3 . Nov 27_

 _OMG I loved! No, I LOVE it. Your fanfic is so funny and soooo cool. My gosh, can't wait for next chapter. But I really want to know if Nathaniel is Marinette's boyfriend._

I'm so happy that you LOVE it! XD I try my best to make you guys enjoy it, I hope you enjoyed the next chapter and that it offered substantial insight ;) Thank you so much for reviewing!

2) _Guest_ _chapter 3 . Nov 27_

 _Omg! In love with this fic! There aren't a lot of Evil. Chat Noir fics out there, and from the ones I've read, yours is by far my favorite! It has so much potential and I can't wait to see how Marinette responds.  
Ps. I've had trouble with the website changing my words, so I've pretty much stopped writing.  
Please don't stop writing!_

Really! Omg I'm so honoured! *Jumps up and down in giddiness*

Honestly, this word thing is really getting out of hand, and it hurts when people criticise and say I have terrible grammar because of it. It's super upsetting and one of the main reasons I get put off writing on , so far, the only chapter that hasn't given me a problem was Chapter 10, so I'm crossing my really sucks when I open a preview of a chapter and I see the sentences missing many words, seemingly incoherent. BUT nevertheless,I'll edit as many times as I have to for you guys!

I won't stop hopefully!

Thank you so much for your review!It's awesome to know that someone understands my dilemma too :')

3) _Guest_ _chapter 3 . Nov 27_

 _Update ! Update !  
I want update !  
Love this story  
Keep writing_

You're so awesome and sweet XD Thank you so much, I will keep writing! I hope you enjoyed the chapters that followed! And thank you so much for reviewing :D

4) _Aureii_ _chapter 3 . Nov 27_

 _0-0  
Jeez Nathaniel...how does HE know about Marinette's broken window? Is he stalking her too? WTF man!_

 _Also random side note :  
Wouldn't nailing up boards be the FIRST thing that you would do (in this neighborhood) when the window breaks and u almost die from a creeper ? Maybe? IDK?_

 _Good luck with ur studies!  
And update soon! (Plz)  
Cliffhangers are EVIL!_

LMAO XD Noooo he's not stalking her! :P I hope the next chapter cleared things up! Thank you so much for the well wishes, it raised my spirits during those papers!

I'm paw-rry, but cliffhangers, well,I can't resist :'(

5) _Marichattrash90_ _chapter 3 . Nov 27_

 _Did Chloé and Adrien have sex or did she tried to make him do it, but he said no or made up some excuse? Could you please clear that up for me in the next chapter? I'm really confused._

She forced him X( I hope the chapters that followed have cleared up your doubts, and thank you so much for reviewing! :D

6) _Miralove_ _chapter 3 . Nov 28_

 _I have a question. Adrien and Chloe have sex?_

X( Yes they do :'( Thank you so much for the question :D I love questions! And thank you for reviewing! You're amazing!

7 _)_ _Lisbeth_ _chapter 3 . Dec 4_

 _Help...I search the fanfic Mine miraculous but no avail. It was so hard to find again. What happened? :/ anyways good luck if that test is still coming.. if over... hope u did well..._

Oh no! :O Okay I don't know why it isn't working, but here is the story url,maybe you can put it on a quick memo:

: / / w w w . s / / 1 / Mine

Remove all spaces!I hope that helps!

It's over now, and our Matic (Final year) results will be out soon, just gotta trust God that they're awesome!Thank you so much for the well wish,and for reviewing! I hope it works!

8 _)_ _MissfanFic0405_ _chapter 4 . Dec 22_

 _I think I know the purrfect song fur this fanfiction. All we know by The Chainsmokers.  
"We're falling apart, still we hold together. We've past the end, still we chase forever. Cause this is all we know. This feeling's all we know."  
I feel like those lyrics *comically points up* describes this fanfiction. Maybe its just me?_

That's one of my absolute favourite songs!Though the song I generally listen to is Evanescence:My Immortal, also: Evanescence-Bring me to life,Evanescence-Broken, Paramore-Monster, Paramore-When it Rains, I have a whole songlist that I listen to, I could put them up if you like!Thank you for reviewing!

 **CHAPTER 4:**

1 _)_ _Miralove_ _chapter 4 . Dec 5_

 _I love your fanfic. And I'm wondering what could happen if Nath finds out._

Thank you! I love getting your reviews and hearing from you,you're awesome!

Hmm,we'll just have to wait and see…Thank you so much for reviewing! :D

2) _Random Reviewer1_ _chapter 4 . Dec 5_

 _Oooh...  
This sounds interesting! I can't wait to see how their relationship develops!_

I'm glad you think so! I hope you like how it's been developing so far!And thank you so much for reviewing! :D

3) _Yuna_ _chapter 4 . Dec 5_

 _-eyes widen-_

 _Ow... Hmmm... QUESTION TIME!  
Does chat get Really Jealous of Nathiel?  
Does Chole find out adrien is chat?  
Does marionette find out the chat-Adrien?  
Does marionette hate chole in this story( I read a few where they were friends...)  
Does Marionette get jealous?  
Does chole try to get rid of Mari?  
Does Adrien or Chat lash out at chole for making Mari upset?  
Does Chole try to charm Chat?  
And... that's it... :)_

Okay!

Yes he does, that's a secret ;) , Yes eventually, Yes she despises her, Pawssiblyyyy, Well Chloe is always trying to get rid of her lmao… Perhaps he will-who knows? Possibly :p

Thank you so much for your questions! That was fun! And thank you for reviewing!

4) _Guest_ _chapter 4 . Dec 5_

 _Wow_

I hope that's a good Wow XD Thank you for reviewing!

5) _Miraculous lover_ _chapter 4 . Dec 5_

 _I need more! It funny and cute_

I'm glad you think so! More will come soon :3 Thank you for reviewing!

6) _Guest_ _chapter 4 . Dec 5_

 _Pleaaaase make this smut  
SIN SIN SIN_

Hmmm, I'll think about it, but I warn you, I suck at smut…If I do write it though it will be a new side story as a branch from this you for reviewing XD

7) _Guest_ _chapter 4 . Dec 7_

 _I love the whole bad guy thing please don't change this too quickly this is such a cool twist on the story I think the dark side of adrien/chat is awesome xx_

I won't! Don't worry, he'll be evil for a looong time. I'm glad you think so because I like dark Chat too! :D Thank you so much for reviewing this!

8) _MissfanFic0405_ _chapter 4 . Dec 9_

 _AWE  
I'm also from South Africa, just like you! What part? Finally I find a South African writer!  
On another note, this fic is LEGIT! I don't usually read things like this, but this fic is captivating. I wasn't even planning on reading it- I came onto the site to read a bit of Adrienette fluff!_

Heya!Seriously? :O That's frigging awesome, I'm from Durban and you?

Oh I'm so happy you're enjoying it!Eishhh, I'm sorry :'( But I hope you like this regardless! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D

9 _)_ _anonymous_ _chapter 4 . Dec 15_

 _...she let him stay with her...um ookay?_

It's weird, I know I knoowww, but he planned to stay even I she said no! XD Thank you so much for reviewing!

 **CHAPTER 5:**

1 _)_ _HowlLikeAWolf_ _chapter 5 . Dec 6_

 _Will there be a reveal? Will Mari and Chat become a thing?_

Hi!Yes eventually there will be! And wellllll, they're soul mates, ;) I hope that answers your question :P Thank you so much for this review!

2 _)_ _IZZY_ _chapter 5 . Dec 6_

 _I loved this chapter! I can't wait for the next one!_

Awww thanks Izzy!I hope you're enjoying the story! Thank you for this sweet review!

3) _Bee_ _chapter 5 . Dec 7_

 _I love this story it's my favourite! Please keep updating as often as possible! But little request, please make the story develop over time; I guess I would rather wait and have a non rushed story but still...I'm so impatient lol but keep up the great work I love it!_

Really! :D That's so awesome, that makes me so happy! I'll try my absolute best, but you know how hectic the festive season can get! It will, I promise :) Lmao I will, thank you so much for reviewing!

4 _)_ _Lilly_ _chapter 5 . Dec 13_

 _Omg this is soooo Freaken gooood to read ! Ty for writing this golden story !_

Thank you for reviewing and being so kind!You rock! :D

5 _)_ _anonymous_ _chapter 5 . Dec 15_

 _Chloe is a b***h. Plagg is adorable. Simple and short._

She is! I know :3 I love him! Thank you so much for reviewing!

 **CHAPTER 6:**

1) _Lokilust_ _chapter 6 . Dec 7_

 _Please have Mari save adrein from himself I strongly believe that you can save someone with work love and compassion_

She will!I believe so too, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and reviewing!

2) _Guest_ _chapter 6 . Dec 8_

 _OML that made me cry so much! I would want to do that too if that happened to me but like Adrien said, I'd never know. Like dude I can't survive without eating something for 20 min. I love how you update so fast and I hope you make chat kill Chloe or something or idk someone needs to avenge for that poor boy._

I'm sorry :'( , I'm completely the same don't worry,I'm really happy to update whenever I can or have the time to :D He will be avenged! Thank you so much for reviewing!

3) _Cami_ _chapter 6 . Dec 8_

 _I cried with this  
Stop this, stop his pain, please_

It will end eventually I swear :( Thank you so much for reviewing!

4) _Idk_ _chapter 6 . Dec 8_

 _You did an amazing job with the story! The only criticism I have is you should try to watch out for spacing between punctuation and words. That is the only thing I got. Everything else is amazing! Keep up the good work!_

Thanks! Okay I will! I'll try my best, but when I upload it to doc manager, for some reason, words and some punctuation marks get removed, I'm sure you noticed a few sentences where a whole set of words are missing :( But thank you!I will try and sort those out! Thank you so much for your feedback and amazing review! :D

5) _Furever A Fan_ _chapter 6 . Dec 8_

 _Me...ow..._

 _Woah...Meow nyever thought chole was furry...pawsceful... O.O It's left meow feline purrible...  
Meow thinks this fanfic is purrfectly pawsome but this chapurr is purry high on... stuff... :/ I think mew should admit depaw on THAT fur the sake of younger readers... meows furrend read mews fic and...er...anyways..._

 _-Oh..And mew should kynow, meows nyame is Kuro Tora. Kuro Tora is meows purr-fect dispurr here..._

Hey Kura Tora! I know it is high on that stuff :( I'll try and keep it T rated in future! Thank you so much for reviewing! Loving the puns BTW! :D XD

6 _)_ _Yuna_ _chapter 6 . Dec 8_

 _Dark... :/_

I know :( I had to make it live up to the angst bit, it was essential :'( I hope it wasn't too dark for you! Thank you for reviewing :)

7 _)_ _Lisbeth_ _chapter 6 . Dec 8_

 _Really...very...ugly...I didn't know chole could be more hated  
I also didn't know that this would become the darkest chatnoirisavillanhere fic..._

Hey there, I know it was :( I hope it didn't scare you too much or make you not want to read it anymore :/ Anyway, thank you for reviewing!

8) _Guest_ _chapter 6 . Dec 8_

 _I read this chapter and all I can say is "wow." This chapter was really good but...it makes me wonder...are you, the author okay? Are you going through something right now?_

Thanks! Don't worry, I'm alright :) Thank you so much for your concern and review!

9) _Guest_ _chapter 6 . Dec 8_

 _Wow that got dark real fast_

I know :( But it was essential, thank you so much for reviewing!

10) _Guest_ _chapter 6 . Dec 9_

 _Wow.  
That's all I can say.  
Love it! Keep going, just...  
Wow._

Hi! I'm glad you love it, and I will keep writing more! Thank you so much for this review! You made me smile :D

11) _anonymous_ _chapter 6 . Dec 15_

 _DIE CHLOE DIE! MWAH HAH HAH HAH!_

I know how you feel :'( X( Thank you for the review!

 **CHAPTER 7:**

1) _Little Red_ _chapter 7 . Dec 9_

 _The last part had me laughing my ass off. Cannot wait for the next chapter. Great story by the way._

LMAO I'm so happy it did! I'm really glad you're enjoying it,and thank you so much for your review! :D

2) _Miralove_ _chapter 7 . Dec 10_

 _OMG! Your fanfic is soooooooo cool and awesome. The darkness on it makes it better, and, call me crazy, but I laughed when he aterrorizes the people, I don't know! it is just funny. But of course, in the fanfic, not in real life. And it was like a movie in my mind when he transformed on the rainy day and all the devilish smiles and I imagined him in four paws on the rooftops. I literally imagine it all, it rocked. I LOVE IT_

Hey again Miralove! Thanks! :D Don't worry, sometimes I feel the exact same way!I'm so glad that you actually picture it,that's brilliant! Thank you so much,and thank you for reviewing!

3 _)_ _E_ _chapter 7 . Dec 10_

 _Not little at all...lmao_

Lmao writing that part killed me XD I'm so happy that it made you laugh,and thank you for reviewing! :D

4) _Blue Dragon_ _chapter 7 . Dec 10_

 _Yes! That would be awesome!_

Hey, I hope this makes you happy!Thank you so much for reviewing and I look forward to responding to all your future questions and reviews here :D

5) _Furever a fan_ _chapter 7 . Dec 10_

 _Mew... the meowful bird is in furry purry trouble...it popped on meows most infameows crimewnal of pawis... -gulps-_

 _\- Kuro Tora_

Hey! Seriously, your puns are like amazing XD This made me laugh, thank you so much for this review!

6) _Guest_ _chapter 7 . Dec 10_

 _Yay_

:D Yayyy! Thank you for reviewing :p

 **CHAPTER 8:**

1 _)_ _PandaLUVpanda_ _chapter 8 . Dec 11_

 _I LOVE YOUR WRITING! Your ability to shape hurt and comfort and fluff together makes this fanfic one of my favourites! :)_

 _If you don't mind me asking, how do you post a fanfic? I've been wanting to write one for a while, but I just don't know how...You don't have to answer, but I would be very grateful if you would consider helping this newbie! :)_

Hey there! Really? :D I'm honoured,thanks!Awwww!

Ooooh it's prettu simple, here's what you do:After clicking publish, accept the terms and conditions under RULES AND , go back to Publish and click New Story, after that, just follow the steps on the tabs that pop up and you're good to go!

I generally find that it's very important to have a great first chapter, because that sets the pace, I can't tell you exactly how to write, because you have your own style, but here's something I don't tell people, before I post, I write down about two or three versions of a chapter, in the end, the one I'm most pleased with gets posted, that's why I generally post like after 3 or more days.

I hope this helped and good luck!

2 _)_ _Miralove_ _chapter 8 . Dec 11_

 _My Gosh. She's gaining his trust, or at least some, I dunno. Oh crap, I love ittttttttt. I think this is one of my three favorite fanfics in the world. But I wonder what Adrien o Chat do with the stuff that he is Chloe' boyfriend._

Yes she is!I'm glad you do :D Really? Wow! :D I hope you're still enjoying and thank you so much for reviewing!

3) _Cami_ _chapter 8 . Dec 12_

 _Omg I was so sad about Mari saying that Adrien was Chloes bf, like god no poor little sunshine my baby he feels so bad with that bitch and she says hes her boyfriend Im gonna kill her_

I know, I was too :( I feel the same way -_- Thank you so much for reviewing Cami! :D

4 _)_ _Pokelover619_ _chapter 8 . Dec 13_

 _I can definately say I'm impressed. This story has a lot of heart and I feel that this adrien you have created is both realistic and deep. The story has the perfect balance of dark, humor, and fluff. Truly a wonderful piece. I can't wait for the next chapter._

Thanks!Wow, thank you for such an amazing review! It really made me smile! :) I hope you're still enjoying the story, thank you for reading it!

5 _)_ _MissfanFic0405_ _chapter 8 . Dec 14_

 _Best chapter yet! I really love Chat in this.  
When I finished chapter 7, I sat there waiting for chapter , I went to read another fic while I waited. Unfortuntely, I forgot the name of this story -_-. I was so disappointed in myself and I spent a few days looking for this fic again...NOW I FOUND IT...YAAAAAAS_

Really?I'm glad you think so! Oh man, I'm sorry :( But hey, you found it again!That's all that matters! I'm glad you enjoyed it, and thank you so much for your review!

6 _)_ _anonymous_ _chapter 8 . Dec 15_

 _you have to keep writing this_

 _I will! And really, thank you so much for taking the time to review, it means more than you know :')_

7) _S Spice_ _chapter 8 . Dec 15_

 _This is beautifully written, thank you for your post. I look forward to the next chapter!  
This my favourite story so far, I will try to sign up to fanfiction to "favorite" it! LOL.  
xoxo_

You're very welcome,and thanks! :') Whoa really :O Awww thank you so much *blushes bashfully* Please do! Lmao!Thank you for reviewing! :D

 **CHAPTER 9:**

1 _)_ _Miralove_ _chapter 9 . Dec 17_

 _Love it! And OMG, I hate so much Chloe. Maldita enferma. So insane, I wonder what Adrien would do with the video_

:D I feel the same, you're right, it is really sick X( That will come later, don't worry, it will be an intense chapter! Thank you for reviewing!

2 _)_ _E_ _chapter 9 . Dec 17_

 _aawww..._

:3 I'm happy you found it cute :D Thank you for reviewing!

3) _Guest_ _chapter 9 . Dec 17_

 _It's ok to take a long time to update as long as the story will update eventually and is not rushed. I'm pretty sure everyone will be happy. :-) the story is really good and well written and unique :-)_

I really hope so because I may only be able to update on a weekly basis when campus opens :/ Thanks! I'm glad you think so! Thank you for being so kind and understanding, and for this review :')

4 _)_ _Guest_ _chapter 9 . Dec 17_

 _That's right Adrien is Marinette's Chaton so back the fuck away Chloe and keep your filfthy hands to yourself_

XD I love this! Lmao thank you for this awesome review! :D

5) _Go girl guest_ _chapter 9 . Dec 17_

 _Great chapter!  
So sorry u had a stressful week,  
Update SOON!  
\- gogirl out!_

Thanks, aww it's alright, I'll try my best! Thank you so much for reviewing!

6) _Scrappy_ _chapter 9 . Dec 18_

 _Awww my poor little kitty! Let me hug u! Love your story dearly and can't wait for mrew!_

 _And that Chloe b****~! Some big blackmail is urgently necessary!_

*Chat opens his arms* , Aww thanks! Yes it is! It will come in time, don't you worry!Thank you so much for reviewing!

7 _)_ _MissfanFic0405_ _chapter 9 . Dec 19_

 _It is legit 02:40 am and I was supposed to go sleep at 12am. But, alas, sleep will have to wait, because the fics I'm reading cannot wait! Absolutely stunning fanfiction! I can't wait for the next chapter :)_

Right now its around 2:00 a.m and I'm also supposed to be asleep, but I really needed to see to it that my guest reviewers get the recognition they you so much, I posted a chapter earlier,hope you enjoy it!Thank you so much for reviewing!

8 _)_ _Sspice_ _chapter 9 . Dec 19_

 _Awww! MariChat fluff awesome! Love it! Please continue to write more! Thanks for entertaining heartfelt chapter. Can't wait for then chapter! LOL :)_

I'm glad you love it!I will soon, and youre welcome!Thank you so much for reviewing!

9 _)_ _Cutie pie_ _chapter 9 . Dec 22_

 _Awwwww my heart melted_

Awww,I'm glad you enjoyed it, :D Thank you so much for reviewing!

 **CHAPTER 10:**

1) _Tamashi_ _chapter 10 . Dec 21_

 _just let me ask one think WHEN I CAN KILL !$!$$! CHOLE FOR WHAT SHE DONE TO OUR CINNAMON ROLL THAT...GIRL * !? anyway wow, i haven't feel that...spark for a fic in a long time and your'e making a wonderful work with it! D the drama, the angst are combined so perfect that i can feel the impotence SO STRONG a fic who can handle the emotions, for me is the perfect story. I can't wait to see the continuation. CONGRATS!? D_

Soon Tamashi, soon, I'll help! I'm so glad that you're enjoying it so much! Wow, thank you! I've updated, and I hope you enjoy it! Thank you so much for reviewing!

2) _skye_ _chapter 10 . Dec 21_

 _are you making another page ?_

Yuppy!You're on it XD , I hope you like it!Thank you the review!

3) _MissfanFic0405_ _chapter 10 . Dec 22_

 _Amazingness. I've recommended this to my friends so many times, I've lost count! Now, I haven't read chapter 11 yet, so I don't know what's to come, but do Tom and Sabine ever catch Marinette and Chat?_

Hmmm, I'm not sure if I'm going to let that happen, but if I do, that will be one dramatic chapter!Thank you so much for reviewing!

4) _Pokelover619_ _chapter 10 . Dec 22_

 _That was deep. I cannot blame the poor boy for acting the way he does. While I don't condone it, I understand why. You have quite the skill in creating connections between the reader and the characters. Adrien feels so real, like a kid you could actually meet one day. I love the show itself, but I feel that it needs to incorporate more of the elements that you do in relation to adriens life. The darker side of his emotions. It's hard to imagine a real person with that level of tolerance for the kind of situation he is in. All in all it was another brilliant chapter and I love how it was plags point of view. On a side note, while I love reading your story, your health is a priority. Make sure you get plenty of sleep before continuing the story. We can't have one of our favorite authors collapsing from fatigue, now can we? Until next time._

I'm glad I could create the connection :) Exactly, I feel that for someone who's going through that much they make him way too passive.I'm so glad that you enjoyed it!Awwww, don't worry, I rested up really well! One of our favourite authors? *Collapses from happiness* Thank you so much! :D And thank you for this amazing review!

5 _)_ _DeepKnife_ _chapter 10 . Dec 22_

 _OMG! I love this story so much  
While I am furious at Chloe  
I LOVE the way you wrote plagg, I just feel the more fatherly plagg fits in with the story.  
Update soon  
Love this story  
Byeeeee_

Awwww I'm so glad you love it! He does in this version,doesn't he? :3

Thank you so much for reviewing, I've updated today :D Thank you so much for reviewing!

6) _Sspice_ _chapter 10 . Dec 22_

 _Awesome! Completely blown away! Please continue writing! :)_

Thank you!I will!And thank you so much for the review! :D

7 _)_ _akacool12_ _chapter 10 . Dec 23_

 _Okay, first of all GREAT chapter bit I wasn't surprised since I'm getting used to your awesomeness. Anyway I wanted to ask how long until chat/ Adrien admits to plagg that he's in love with mari? Also this chapter really cleared my twitching if marinette is gonna get the ladybug miraculous so thanks a lot. Love ya girl. That is if you are a girl. :-P_

Awwww thanks! :D Hmmmm, weeeeellll, I don't want to rush the story too much, and seeing as they've only known each other for a short time, I'd say maybe at the end of the 30 days when their parents return?I love you toooo!And yes, I'm a girl XD Thank you so much for reviewing!

 **CHAPTER 11:**

1) _Guest_ _chapter 11 . Dec 22_

 _Hey, Ra Ra, I was wondering, could you do a damsel-in-distress type chapter? Where Chat saves Mari? Sorry, I just those kinds! XD_

Hey! :D Hmmmm, of course I can!I love em too! XD Thank you so much for the suggestion and review!

2) _MissfanFic0405_ _chapter 11 . Dec 22_

 _I'm from the Western Cape, and thanks for answering mine and everyone else's reviews! Its really nice of you. * smiles *_

 _Also I found this on the internet and thought I'd copy it here:  
When a fanfiction gets so good that you start imagining stories for the fanfiction and then it becomes fanfiction fanfiction._

It was no trouble at all, I really do love you guys! :D

Whooooaaaa :O I think I do that sometimes XD

Thank you so much for reviewing!

3) _Furever a Fan_ _chapter 11 . Dec 22_

 _Mew thinks puns are pawsitively pawsome? Meow is purry happy! Meow thinks mew has a purry pawsome fic here and purrlease update b4 meow furnds the need to furead anofur furry long fic._

Heee heee, I've updateddddd!I hope you like it purry much!And keep those puns coming! XD Thank you so much for your super awesome reviews!They never fail to make mew smile! :D

4 _)_ _Lisbeth_ _chapter 11 . Dec 22_

 _Wow...:( :( But isn't nathelie always with Adrian in the cartoon ? The last chapte brought more hate for chole.  
But I'm so happy you read the reveiws! Thanks so much_

She is :( But I felt he needed to be more lonely for the plot to thicken, of course I read the reviews!You guys are my world!It's no trouble at all!Thank you so much for reviewing!

5) _catbug21_ _chapter 11 . Dec 22_

 _i cried i cried so hard poor adrien trust me im balling right it amerzing_

I'm sorry it made you cry :"( but I'm glad you found it amazing!Thank you so much for reviewing!

6) _Katistrophic_ _chapter 11 . Dec 22_

 _This is the fan fiction I have been waiting for. I am dead serious this is my dream. I am in love . Thank you, I can happily die now._

I'm so happy you love it, I'm really honored, but please don't die on me X'( Thank you so much for reviewing!

7) _Guest_ _chapter 11 . Dec 22_

 _IM SERIOUS! THIS IS THE BEST FANFIC IVE EVER READ IN MY LIFE! IT SHOWS TRUE PAIN AND EVIL IN JUST THE RIGHT WAY EITH THE BEST TORMENTED PAST OF ADRIEN AND THE LIGHT THAT SHINES SO BRIGHTLY FROM MARINETTE IS JUST MAGNIFACENT! I CAN DIE PEACEFULLY NOW, I HOPE YOU WRITE MORE FANFIC!_

Wow really? :D Thanks! Wait, don't dieeeee!I'll write more, I promise! Just don't die! Thank you so much for your sweet review!

8 _)_ _Lokilust_ _chapter 11 . Dec 22_

 _Btw if your going to take Chloe down you first take away your enemies support which is Sabrina if you like have her be caught trying to delete the police entry and evidence against Chloe and then have adrien bug her phone as record her telling Sabrina to doing that once you taken away her support go all out and send that bitch to jail personally I don't believes the bee mirculous_

That's true, but in this story, Sabrina has no idea what Chloe's doing to Adrien, but I have a big plan for that thing,she will neither!Why is she getting it? X( Thank you so much for the review! :D

9 _)_ _PandaLUVpanda_ _chapter 11 . Dec 22_

 _Thank you so much! I'll take your advice into account, but I recently got a new job, so...if I do start writing, it will have to be when I have time. I really appreciate you answering my amateurish questions. :)_

Awww it's okay!It's not amateurish,they're brilliant, and there's no harm in asking brilliant questions :) Thank you for reviewing!

10 _)_ _PEACHES_ _chapter 11 . Dec 22_

 _plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz update real quick_

Just updated!Hope you enjoy it! Thank you for reviewing! :D

11) _Miralove_ _chapter 11 . Dec 22_

 _Now I get nervous with the intense chapter. But I think I could handle it. Ohhhh, my arms are shaking. And will Chlor and Marinette like meet again and talk about Adrien or Chat Noir or...?_

Hey Mira! Don't worry, you'll handle it :D … Well I don't wanna give a spoiler…But perhaps they wont,or maybe they will, who knows? ;) Thank you

for reviewing!

12) _Michelle Rita_ _chapter 11 . Dec 22_

 _You think in a chapter you can explain why Chloe is doing this why she's like this and why she hates Marinette you can make it up from the top of your head because no one is just born evil and go to such lengths for no reason especially to Marinette please please I'm begging you it doesn't need to be the next chapter just in a chapter pwease (bats puppy dog eyes)_

Hmmmm, I'll think about it,buuuut since you asked so nicely,maybe I will! :D Thank you for reviewing!

13 _)_ _Shelly Marsh_ _chapter 11 . Dec 22_

 _I love it it's everything I want in a MariChat fic romance a poessesive green eyed kitty, an innocent kind but witty Marinette a Charon with a character development involving our cherry blossom ladybug_

Awwww, I'm glad you love it! :D Thank you so much for this amazing review!

14) _Shelly Marsh_ _chapter 11 . Dec 22_

 _Wait I got an idea of how he can take down chole it involves hidden camera and posting it online add it up together with the video chat had when he confronted the guys Chloe blackmailed and BAM take down! Woo woo and Don't say it won't be Easy cuz it totes will besides Chloe's has too much lack of brain cells to know and as long as Adrien makes sure to not say anything for her to ruin the plan BAM instance take down_

Hmmm, that is a pretty cool idea, but I've already plotted how she's going to get taken down…Lets say its more…Brutal… I can't say anything else because I don't want to spoil it, but thank you so much for this awesome suggestion and review!

15 _)_ _random person_ _chapter 11 . Dec 22_

 _i normally don't review anything and stay in the background despite my BURNING THOUGHTS AND QUESTIONS on a chapter or story, reading all your responses to your guest reviews has encouraged me to write one myself! (pls keep in mind this is my 2 review EVER, and the first on was for my close friend's first fanfic.) so without further adu...  
what's with the quote at the top of the chapter? (i think it"s called the chapter summery but i don't know for sure) in the first couple of chapters it made sense, but now that their relationship has evolved to it's current level i just cant picture it happening AT ALL. DOES SOMETHING HAPPEN?! (i know you probably wont give me a straight answer because this is the miraculous fandom and NO SPOILERS! but please just keep it in mind.)_

Hey :D Okay the chapter summary is definitely in the story, I know it seems all _hearts and roses no but that quote is part of one of the really dark,intense_ chapters that will come around the climax of the story.I can't say more than that because I don't want to ruin it, but I have to say you've done a brilliant job on this review and I think you're amazing, thank you so much for reviewing!And remember, I'm here to answer anything! :D

16 _)_ _Guest_ _chapter 11 . Dec 22_

 _Cat puns?...  
LOL_

I just had to do it, I couldn't resist XD Thank you so much for reviewing!

17) _Guest_ _chapter 11 . Dec 23_

 _Loved it_

I'm so happy you did!Thank you so much for reviewing!

18 _)_ _Guest_ _chapter 11 . Dec 23_

 _Ch 12 pls_

Just posted it!I hope you enjoyed it, and thank you so much for reviewing!

19 _)_ _Whoop_ _chapter 11 . Dec 24_

 _I LOVE IT! CONTINUE TO WRITE BECAUSE THIS IS A GREAT STORY AND I WANT TO HEAR IT! :D_

I'm so glad you do! I will, I will! :D Thank you so much for reviewing!

20) _Idk_ _chapter 11 . Dec 25_

 _I didn't expect you to respond. I feel so special :D! Keep up the good writing!_

You guys are all extremely special to me, thank you so much,I will!And thank you for reviewing!

21) _AdrinetteLover_ _chapter 11 . Dec 26_

 _Please continue with this story, I want to read more MariChat romantic moments, I really want to know when Mari will realize that she loves Chat, how Chat falls for her and I can't wait to see Chloe's end!_

I will :D Don't worry, it will all come in time! :D Thank you so much for reviewing this!

 **CHAPTER 12**

 _1)_ _Lokilust_ _chapter 12 . Dec 28, 2016_

 _Not just Chloe go down but her father and Sabrina as well if you ask y the father is because he is blind to the crimes of his daughter and Sabrina for helping so what did you think of my plan I mention_

Hmmmm, wellll, Sabrina has no idea about what Chloe is doing, so she hasn't helped like in the slightest. Mayor Bourgeois… Perhaps you're onto something there!We'll just have to wait and see!Thank you for the cool suggestion and review!

2) _Izzy_ _chapter 12 . Dec 28, 2016_

 _Omg! This give me shivers! Probably the best three chapters I read in this fan Fiction! Plz update soon!_

I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I have, and I hope you've enjoyed that chapter,thank you for reviewing it!

3) _Miralove_ _chapter 12 . Dec 28, 2016_

 _Fuck. Holy Shiiiiiiiiiiit! Damn, how the hell they did that to her? In a party? I am going to die with Marinette._

I know, I know! X'( Absolute morons! No no no!Don't die! Come back! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D

4 _)_ _Guest_ _chapter 12 . Dec 28, 2016_

 _I just wanted to say...I'm in love with your fic. WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN TO ADRIEN? WHY MARINETTE? Other than that, aaahhh it is awesome. This chapter went from 0 to 100 real quick. And also, this ain't a copied fic because it is unique, mari isn't defenceless, Adrien has friends, there are miraculous, Adrien goes to school, his motives were different, and countless other differences. Just bc it's an evil!chat fic doesn't mean it's copied. Just wanted u to know that and ily!_

Awwwww! I'm glad you think so! :O Wow thank you so so so much, I'm glad you picked up those little important things :D I love you too!Like a whole dang lot! Thank you so much for your kind words and amazing review!

5 _)_ _Peachy Queen_ _chapter 12 . Dec 28, 2016_

 _And on my b-day, no less. Best fanfic ever. Seriously. Wow._

Wow you really think so? :D Happy Birthday!I hope you have an absolutely amazing,super awesome, fantastic splendid,miraculous year and that all of your dreams and that all of your dreams and aspirations become reality! Thank you so much for reviewing!

6) _Guest_ _chapter 12 . Dec 28, 2016_

 _No no ! You cant leave us like this we need the next chapter I want to read how he gets chloe back!_

Next chapter is uuuup! I hope you like it!Thank you so much for reviewing! :D

7) _Guest_ _chapter 12 . Dec 28, 2016_

 _No no ! You cant leave us like this we need the next chapter I want to read how he gets chloe back!_

It's ouuutttt!Hope you enjoy it!And thank you so much for reviewing!

8) _Guest_ _chapter 12 . Dec 29, 2016_

 _Thank you sooooooooooooo much for the super long chapter! I can't wait to see what Chat does to Chloe! And those guys who hurt our Mari!_

You're welcome!The next chapter is out and I really hope you enjoy it!Thank you so so much for reviewing!

9 _)_ _JayFan67_ _chapter 12 . Dec 29, 2016_

 _CHLOE IS GOING DOWN! IF CHAT DOESN'T GET HER, I CERTAINLY WILL! *revs dual chainsaws menacingly* CHLOE BOURGEOIS! *becomes akumatized into Chain Link, chainsaw akuma XD* I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE MIRACULOUSES, I. WILL. END. HER!_

 _-JF_

 _(P. S. forgot to log in, please forgive me D:)_

LMAO! XD

Wait wait wait!Chat needs to finish this on his ownnn! Omg Chainsaw Akuma XD I forgive you, thank you so much for reviewing!I laughed!

10) _Yoko89_ _chapter 12 . Dec 29, 2016_

 _this my real review ignore the other one that is meant for another email. DAMN! I cannot wait for what happens next I want revenge on what Chloe did to Mari keep up the amazing work cannot wait for the rest._

Oki dokes!Heee heeee,my revenge plan will be a loooong one! :D Thank you so much!And thank you so much for reviewing!

11 _)_ _Ladybug5252_ _chapter 12 . Dec 29, 2016_

 _THIS MESSED WITH MY EMOTIONS SO MUCH! YOU ARE AMAZING AT WRITING PLEASE CONTINUE! Also I saw earlier that you were going through something, I hope that whatever that something is it makes you stronger. THANK YOU FIR DOING THE WORLD A FAVOR AND WRITING THIS! 3_

Awwwww thank you thank you I will!I was buttttt I'm okay now, thank you so much for caring!I love you!And you're very welcome!I love writing this!Thank you so much for reviewing!

12 _)_ _catbug12 37d_ _chapter 12 . Dec 29, 2016_

 _will adrien finally be brave and tell his father?_

Not now…But eventuallyyyyy maybe… ;) Thank you so much for this review question!I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

13) _random person_ _chapter 12 . Dec 29, 2016_

 _hi! it's me again! thank you for answering me in this chapter! (i feel so special) i really want to give you a big hug right now because *long high-pitch squeal* yyyooouuuuu aaaannnnsssswwwweeeerrrreeeedddd mmeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! and i'm no longer super confused when i see the summery before diving into the latest update, but i cant due to the obvious conflict of, you are on my computer screen sssoooooooo... please imagine someone giving you a nice big hug or give one to your self! (cause your awesome and, in my opinion, deserve a million more) but remember that it's a very big thank you from some human on the other side of your screen! have a wonderful day, this new chapter is awesome, and (this is the last one, i promise) tttthhhhaaaaannnnkkkkkkk yyyyyooooouuuuu! *continues high-pitched squealing*_

Hey there! You're very welcome!I'm so excited that you've reviewed again!I love you! Awwwwww I'd really love a hug! *The millions would be pretty awesome too!* I'm glad you thought so! Thank you thank you thank you for this super sweet,kind, wonderful review!You really made me smile a whole lot so thank you very very much!

14 _)_ _BlackChat_ _chapter 12 . Dec 29, 2016_

 _OMG OMG OMG YASS! This story is soooo amazing. I honestly think you are one of the better writers on this website, and I've read about a hundred fanfics by now. Also, DIE CHLOE DIE! Sorry, just had to get that out of my system lol. XD._

 _Keep Writing. Bye!_

Hee hee hee, Thank youuuuu! Wow really?That such an honour to hear, I'm really flattered thank you so so so much!LMAO,patience, her demise will come in time! ;) XD Thank you so much for your kind words and amazing review!

15 _)_ _katherine Heart_ _chapter 12 . Dec 29, 2016_

 _omg! i love it i cant wait to see what happens!_

I'm so glad that you do!And I really hope you enjoyed chapter 13!Thank you so much for reviewing!

16) _MissfanFic0405_ _chapter 12 . Dec 29, 2016_

 _That was totally, obviously and most DEFINATELY worth the wait. The cliffhanger left me hanging. (Obviously, its called a cliffHANGER) but still...anyways hope you had a good Christmas! The update was an AWESOME gift  
Chlo is dead now though...eish...am I a bad person to say I don't feel sorry for her? ...not the slightest bit of remorse for that dementor. She literally sucks the life out of me in this fic, and she's a fictional character! : (:  
Good luck in for writing on! Can't waaaaaait_

Yayyyyy! I'm glad you thought so!I had a great Christmas!I hope you did too!No no, you aren't, I feel exactly the same way!OMG loving the Harry Potter reference, besides Miraculous, Harry Potter is one of my favourite fandoms!Thanks!I hope you enjoyed chapter 13!And thank you so much for reviewing!

17) _Guest_ _chapter 12 . Dec 30, 2016_

 _Will there be more chapters I love them_

Yes of course!Awwww thank you!And thank you for reviewing!

18 _)_ _Guest_ _chapter 12 . Dec 30, 2016_

 _I know you just updated this but... I really need to know what happens to Mari and Adrien! I love your story so much thank you for writing it!_

Hiiii!I updated and I really hope you enjoy it!I'm so happy that you love this story!And thank you so much for reviewing it! :D

19 _)_ _Guest_ _chapter 12 . Jan 1_

 _OMG THANK YOU FOR UPDATING! Absolutely LOVED the chapter! Can't wait for more! :D Oh, and Happy New Year!_

You're very welcome!Wow :D I'm so excited that you did! Thank you so so much and a very happy new year to you as well! And thank you for reviewing!

20) _chapter 12 . Jan 1_

 _This is fucking amazing!_

 _Adrien didn't go to school right? So he doesn't know how people hate Chloe. If she told them that he touched her her even if it was the opposite way around, they wouldn't believe her, would they? I don't think they will but we'll see._

 _Poor Mari! Chloe you're are an arse._

Thanks! Nope, he didn't, and they wouldn't believe doesn't exactly know that they wont believe her, and he's a bit too frightened to take the risk… So he doesn't want to tell anyone as she is an a***!Thank you so so so much for reviewing!

21 _)_ _Furever a Fan_ _chapter 12 . Jan 2_

 _Oh...my...FUR! That was furishly pawsome! Meow! The _itch Is meowing down! I thank mew so much fur mews furtastic fics! Meow enjoyed it purry much! But...Meow wants to knyow what the purry fur happened nyext! What a meowy cliffhanger..._

Awwww thanks!Yeah she is!You're very welcome and I'm glad you enjoy em! :D Hope you enjoy the latest chapter! Thank you so much for your Punny review! ;) :D

22 _)_ _DeepKnife_ _chapter 12 . Jan 2_

 _I'm reading thru this and I feel like crying  
I think you should kill Chloe or have something EXTREMELY bad happen to her.  
Can't wait for the next chapter of this sad pile of shit  
*start to cry silently*  
Bye  
Love your story_

Nawwww!Dont cry! Perhaps I will :3 I hope you enjoy the next chapter! *Hands you a handkerchief* Thank you!And thank you for reviewing it!You rock!

23 _)_ _Guest_ _chapter 12 . Jan 3_

 _Can't wait for the next chapter! So excited_

:D I hope you enjoy it then! Thank you so much for reviewing!

24) _WHOOP_ _chapter 12 . Jan 4_

 _OMG CLIFFHANGER! I MUST HEAR MORE! PLEASE WRITE!_

I will I will! I hope you enjoy it! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D

25 _)_ _Lilly_ _chapter 12 . 7h ago_

 _0.0 omg u make it impossible to sleep at night , I must know what happens till the end ! Please it's soooo goood ! Xooxoxoxoxo_

Lmao I tryyyyyy! Awwww thank you! I'm so happy you think so! I hope you enjoyed the latest instalment and thank you so much for reviewing!

 **CHAPTER 13:**

 _1)_ _Tamashi_ _chapter 13 . Jan 4_

 _*clap, clap, and clap 1000* goood dammit, that's why i call a magnifique VENDETTA :D oh dear, i really love how you interact with the characters...so deep, showing us their angst their moral... o jezz i need to see more! keep going *w*_

*Bows* Heee heee, thank you!I'm so glad that you do, I really try my you will!The next chapter is out!I hope you enjoy it!Thank you so much for reviewing!

 _2)_ _Oh my_ _chapter 13 . Jan 4_

 _BURN YOU LITTLE SHITS_

Heee heee, and burn they did :3 Thank you so much for reviewing!

 _3)_ _Miralove_ _chapter 13 . Jan 4_

 _OMG, finally this chapter. I was waiting like crazy. But I have to say that those guys deserved the pain, how could somebody do THAT to Marinette? She even care about a villain! I love Chat so much. But it's ok, I can share him with Marinette._

Lmao yes they did, they're absolute morons. Hee heee, I know, I feel the same way. :'( Thank you so much for reviewing Mira!

 _4)_ _akacool12_ _chapter 13 . Jan 4_

 _hissssssss. dont you think those guys were a little hard on mari. well really hard, but how could they! but still i understand you put the roughness in so that you can show how much he cares for her. :-) anyway another question:  
Chat kisses mari on the forehead when shes asleep right? sooooooo, how long do i have to wait until their first kiss on lips. im not rushing you but its just that the suspense is killing me. :-)_

They were a bit too hard ayyy, but then again, this is a dangerous angsty fic!And yes I neded to show the extent of his care ;) Yes he does kiss her on the forehead…Hmmm, well I suppose it will come, not too soon, but not too far away, when it does, it will certainly be beautiful :) Thank you so much for reviewing!

 _5)_ _DeepKnife_ _chapter 13 . Jan 4_

 _Why do I want some chili right now.  
Well I just have to say that...You are a dark human being  
Managing to keep it all light and funny but also dark and creepy 0.0  
I fear for my not so innocent mind  
Pllease please just be done with it and kill Chloe  
Look out Chat noir I honestly think that Mari gonna hit you and laugh about it :)  
I love this so much  
When will the next update be  
I love this so much  
Bye  
I'm gonna dream of murdering chilies now_

Lmao, so I've been told :3

I would love to kill her, but I want her to suffer just a bit more. Death would be far too simple.I'm so glad that you love it!I just updated so remember to check that long one out! :D I hope you enjoy it, and thank you so much for reviewing!

 _6)_ _MLBFanxox_ _chapter 13 . Jan 4_

 _OMG THIS IS INCREDIBLY FANTASTICALLY AWESOME PLEASE DO UPDATE SOON IM DYIIIIINNNGGGGG_

Awwwwww thank you! I hope you enjoy the next chapter!Thank you so much for reviewing! (PS DON'T DIE OR CHAT WILL COME AFTER YOU)

 _7)_ _Guest_ _chapter 13 . Jan 4_

 _Chloe needs to go to prison and be sentenced with no parole for hiring the bastards to try and harm and kill Marinette. And for raping Adrien._

I completely agree with you.I'm serious, she sucks. Thank you so much for reviewing!

 _8)_ _ShiningStar78_ _chapter 13 . Jan 4_

 _Gosh, you got some mad writing skills here, I love how you can make it funny and light one second and sick and twisted the other. Actually I like dark, creepy stories but this is just... WAH. The thing that scares me the most though, is the fact that I was actually smirking and chuckling while I was reading this... guess my darker side took over. Please update soon! I NEED another chapter! XD_

Lmao thank youuuu! I try! Hey don't worry, there's nothing wrong with being cynical ;) Thank you so much for reviewing!

 _9)_ _Whop_ _chapter 13 . Jan 4_

 _PLEASE WRITE MORE I LOVE IT_

Gotcha!Thank you for reviewinh!

 _10)_ _guest11111111111_ _chapter 13 . Jan 4_

 _omg yes I have been waiitng for so long love this make more its amazing beyond all the fics i have read BLOODY chat noir is my life ;) yes revenge on those ppl REVENGE MWAHAHAHAHAHA_

Awwwww thank you! He's mine too XD Thank you so much for this crazy awesome review!

 _11)_ _Vengeful dragon_ _chapter 13 . Jan 4_

 _It is very interesting reading this as it has such a dark theme wich is both shocking and enticing. I have noticed that he only attacks monsters which I thank you for as violence for the sake of violence tends to irritate me but losing anger and righting wrongs make it, well I am going to use the term delicious!_

That's true Heee heee delicious in a chapter involving chillies :D Lmao, thank you so much for reviewing!

 _12)_ _Guest_ _chapter 13 . Jan 4_

 _pls tell me that chat deleted the photos of mari!_

Yes, yes he did! Thanks for the question!And for reviewing!

 _13)_ _scaring myself_ _chapter 13 . Jan 4_

 _this is the kind of chapter you read alone in a dark corner while evilly laughing to yourself like a psychopathic maniac, i love it. thank you for this gift._

Lmao that's how I am when I write these kinds of chapters… Heee hee, thanks!And you're very welcome!Thank you for reviewing!

 _14)_ _Pikachu_ _chapter 13 . Jan 4_

 _You have to make more! This is the best!_

I promise that I will!Thanks!And thank you for reviewing! :') Love the name btw!

 _15)_ _Furever a Fan_ _chapter 13 . Jan 5_

 _MEW WAS SO PAWSOME! ~ Meow could fur a purrfect death with no mewgrets... gl on mews test! Nya~ ~ meows furring to draw a purry fat but pawsomely cuteeee! Kitty Caaaattt! (Mew...copied...furom...muta...)_

Awww thank youuuu! But don't die!I'll miss you!Thank you again for reviewing, I seriously wait for your review Kuro Tora!

 _16)_ _I LOVE IT_ _chapter 13 . Jan 5_

 _Keep writing! Don't leave us hanging!_

Heee heee, got it! Thank you so much for reviewing!Enjoy the next instalment!

 _17)_ _Guest_ _chapter 13 . Jan 5_

 _.when is the next chapter coming out ?_

It just diiiiid!I really hope you enjoy it, thank you so much for reviewing!

 _18)_ _Izzy_ _chapter 13 . Jan 5_

 _This was amazing! Please please please please update soon_

Awwww thank you! I just did, it's super long so I hooooope that it makes up for the long wait!Thank you so much for reviewing!

 _19)_ _lexlex13_ _chapter 13 . Jan 5_

 _I love this story so much. Im literally bursting with joy when I find out there is a new chapter._

Awwwww thank you so much lexlex! :D That makes me feel really appreciated :') hank you so much for reviewing!

 _20)_ _an1malover_ _chapter 13 . Jan 5_

 _i just can't stop reading this story, and I'm very glad to read it. looking forward to your next chapter :3_

I'm just so excited that you're enjoying it!I just updated, so I hope you enjoy it!Thank you so much for reviewing!

 _21)_ _Chibi Fighter_ _chapter 13 . Jan 5_

 _I love your story so much! The way you wrote chat as broken villain is well written and well thought out and detailed which makes me wonder...are you okay? Anyways I really liked this chapter  
and I can only imagine how Marinette will react when she finds out what chat did, if she finds that is. Anyways please keep up the good work :3_

Thank youuuu! Well, I'd like to think that I am I'm so glad you did!I'll do my best, thank you so much for reviewing!

 _22)_ _MLBFanxox_ _chapter 13 . Jan 5_

 _Crossing fingers  
How was ur results?  
I LOVE THIS STORY PLEASE UPDATE OMG OMG OMG_

I did really great actually!Aww thank you, I just posted the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it!Thank you so much for reviewing!

 _23)_ _MissfanFic0405_ _chapter 13 . Jan 5_

 _*blinks twice before coming out of enclosed reading hole*  
Woah. Woah. Woah. Woah. Woah. Woah. WOAH.  
Chat got them gooooooooooood. Shame. They could've denied and went to police but nie gits ek moet dit nou doen *rolls eyes *. Those three Banshees did it and felt it.  
Well worth the wait! Thanks and hope the results were good! *thumbs up and smiles as if she didn't just read torture scenes*_

Hell yeah he did! Hulle wil dood wens Chat kon hulle moord. *sigh* Maar Plagg sal woedend wees. 'n Woedend Plagg is 'n skrikwekkende Plagg. I'm glad you enjoyed it! Yeah they were, I ended up with a 76% aggregate overall and a couple of distinctions, I'm gonna send the subjects with B's for remarking though!Thank you so much for reviewing!

 _24)_ _Guest_ _chapter 13 . Jan 6_

 _I hope your results came out well._

 _Dude! This chapter was great.  
I wonder if Marinette saw the live broadcast? Hopefully, she drank enough water and ate all the stuff she was supposed to.  
Adrien was livid, and with reason.  
I wonder if Chloe will be stupid enough to tell who the girl was or if her sense of self preservation will win out...  
Looking forward to your next chapter, as always!_

I'm glad you think so!

Heee heee you shall see!I hope you enjoy it, I just posted! Thank you so much for reviewingggg!

 _25)_ _Guest_ _chapter 13 . Jan 6_

 _love this so much_

Awww thank you so much!And thank you for reviewing!

 _26)_ _Guest_ _chapter 13 . Jan 6_

 _Okay...  
This i sooooooo awesome! You are an insanely talented writer gurrlllll! I can no to read more of this story! Just keep doing your best!_ _️️_ _  
-Kaly_

Really? :D You think so?I will Kaly!Thank you so much, and also thank you for the review!

 _27)_ _Your fan_ _chapter 13 . Jan 6_

 _O.O omg ... clap clap clap , that was intense but very greatly written ..._

*Bows low* I'm glad you think so! :D Thank you so much for reviewing!

 _28)_ _Miraculous fan_ _chapter 13 . Jan 7_

 _This was amazing!I loved every bit of this chapter especially the revenge part of it._

Heeee heee, I loved writing that part… *Evil laugh* Thank you so much for reviewing it!

 _29)_ _xmaslover_ _chapter 13 . Jan 7_

 _This is a very good story you're a very good writer! I really would love to read the chapter with sentences from the summary in it. And I also would love to see Ladybug._

Awwww thank you!'m honoured! Oh it will come in time, not right now though, :D Thank you so much for reviewing!

 _30)_ _Guest_ _chapter 13 . Jan 8_

 _I absolutely loved this fanfic to far! You put so much detail into it and it made me feel like I was in that world! I think you are an amazing writer and I can't wait for more!_

:') I love when I get reviews like this, it makes everything worth while, then again every review makes writing worthwhile, but I'm really thankful that you feel this way,Thank you so much for this review!

 _31)_ _FanficAddict_ _chapter 13 . Jan 8_

 _I LOVE THIS FANFIC SO MUCH OMG. AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING!_

Thank youuuuu! :D :D :D *Sighs in happiness* And thank you so much for reviewing!

 _32)_ _Katsorific_ _chapter 13 . Jan 9_

 _thank you holy jeezuz lord that you made this fanfic. It's has the right balance of romance and hurt and comfort and violence and emotion and sexuality(ish). The relationship between Mari and CHAT is astounding. I believe you could genuinely be a successful writer. THIS STORY IS SO PROFESSIONALLY BEAUTIFUL AND OMG IT MAKES EVERYTHING SO GOOD. I LOVE THIS SO MUCHHHHHH. PLEASE, AFTER YOU HAVE FINISHED WITH THIS FANFIC, PLEASE TRY TO MAKE ANOTHER MIRACULOUS LADYBUG FANFIC WITH ANOTHER PLOT LINE BUT SAME FEEL( with the emotions and shizzz) thank you very much Rara, I worship you_

Hee heee, just using my God given gift, you think so? That would be so wonderful if I could!I will do that, I promise, I want to finish my other one first though!But I will, don't 're very welcome!Thank you so much! And thank you for this inspirational review!

 _33)_ _Theamazinger_ _chapter 13 . Jan 13_

 _I'd love to see marinettes thoughts on all this, she's probably having second thoughts on being close to him. I can just imagine her scolding him like the disappointed mother he never had..._

Heee heee, well the chapter is up ;) And I hope you enjoy it! Thank you so much for reviewing! *Hopefully Marinette isn't to mean*

 _34)_ _MissfanFic0405_ _chapter 13 . Jan 14_

 _Please update soon! I know school/university started a few days ago, but when you get the time, please update! I really can't wait to see what happens, and I'm sure that other readers feel the same. Mine truly is an amazing story, and its so realistic. Cause, well, as much as I hate so say it, this stuff happens in real life. (Not a hot guy prouncing around in a cat suit, I mean what Chloe's doing.) Can't wait for your next update :)_

 _PS, if you start seeing the name "batch of books" reviewing, its me. My friend, 'Cupcake' came up with it, now I w_

I will! I just put the newest instalment up, and I really hope you love it! Awww, you're making me blush *hides face*, yes, yes it does,doesn't it?

I'm going to continue the rest of my response with the rest of your review XD

 _35)_ _MissfanFic0405_ _chapter 13 . Jan 14_

 _Merlin's Balls this device posted my review while I was busy typing!_

 _*glares at phone* as I was saaayyyiiingg._

 _My new name is batch of books! My friend batch of cupcakes came up with it, cause I read so much! *grins* hehe_

 _~MissfanFic0405, now known as batch of books_

Oh I hate when that happens, don't worry, it happens to us all :'( *Sobs* That's actually a really super cool name :o Thank you so much for reviewing!I hope you enjoy the next chapter!

 _36)_ _batch of books_ _chapter 13 . Jan 17_

 _Writer's block? School, University, Life? Whatever it is, I really hope that gets better. I really cannot, emphasis on cannot, wait for the next chapter.  
Now I should sleep (ha right) as I have school tomorrow._

Data struggles -_- The Telkom line was down so I had no wifi, I just ordered a P9 and so I was awaiting it,needless to say I had nothing to make a wifi hotspot from, and so I was reduced to responding to reviews whenever I went to a friend's place. It's back now though so hopefully I won't have a problem,have a great day at school!It's like 1:13 right now lmao,but thank you so much for reviewing!

 _ **Feeling like a biaaatch for letting the reviews accumulate but life was messing with me guys, it's been a shitty year for me, nevertheless,I'm going to try to answer all the GR of the final chapters part one and two,here we go!**_

 **Final Chapter:Part One**

 **1)** Lokilust chapter 23 . Sep 16

Send Alya and Nino their miraculous

 **Hey! Hmmm, we'll have to see about that,thank you for reviewing!**

 **2)** Aurei chapter 23 . Sep 17

THE SUSPENSE!  
WWWHHHHHYYYY?!

Umm...many pages? IDK

 **I'm sorry I'm sorryyyy!The pages were actually 75, I had a cramp by the time I was done! Thank you so much for reviewing!**

 **3)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 17

OMG...

 **I know right… Thank you for reviewing hee hee**

 **4)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 17

53 pages

 **Nooo, 75, good try though!**

 **5)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 17

And this, kids, is why being a tramatized sociopath is bad.

 **Hee heee, my parents just think I'm strange and leave me in my room… Wait you're talking about Chat?Pfffttt I knew that hee heee *looks around*, he has some issues**

 **6)** Fragile leaf chapter 23 . Sep 17

Me: I can totally handle gore

Also me: cries and can't handle a rated-t description of what is essentially "cat-man beats up some dude on a boat."

 **Awww man I'm sorry I'm sorry I hope you didn't cry too much! Thank you for reviewing even though you were sad!**

 **7)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 17

I can't wait for the next chapter!

 **Hee heee, hope you enjoyed it!**

 **8)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 17

132 pages? Is the ending going to be a "Happy" ending? Please I need it be be happy or else I'm going to die of sadness :(

 **I'll try my besterest! I wouldn't want to make anyone sad :(**

 **9)** Maryam chapter 23 . Sep 17

This is such a good story I'm gonna be so depressed when it ends keep writing and this chapters full of drama

 **Don't you worry, we have a looooong way to go,and thank you for the review!**

 **10)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 17

Hii!This story is amazing!WOWW *O* love 're an awesome writer!goid job,hugs and kisses from SLOVENIA 3 love ya

 **Heyyyy! Oh cool I have another reviewer from Slovenia?!That's amazing! Love you too and thank you for reviewing!**

 **11)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 17

Please please please please please please please please poosssstttttttttttt!

 **I promise I will asap! Thank you for reviewing!**

 **12)** guest chapter 23 . Sep 17

OK HURRY PLEASE CONTINUE I LOVE THIS STORY

 **Oki doki! I'll do my best, and thank you for taking the time to review!**

 **13)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 17

Update part 2 as soon as possible please! I'm begging you! I'm so sad to see this end but I love it and I need to know what happens so please update as soon as possible!

 **Don't sweat, we have a looooong way to go!Thank you for reviewing!**

 **14)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 17

Ooooohhhhh that's where the description came from. And aaaahhhhh, I love this story so much!

 **Lmao I bet everyone was like, "finally, the description is here!"Hee hee, thank you!And Thank you for reviewing!**

 **15)** FONZ chapter 23 . Sep 17

This is one of the best fanfics i have read literally it scared me

 **Whoaaaaa, seriously? Thank you! And thank you for reviewing(Hope I didn't scare you too bad coz the sequel is coming)**

 **16)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 17

i love this so much i can't wait for the next chapter

 **Awwww, hope youre ready for the sequel! And thank you for this review!**

 **17)** Guest4 chapter 23 . Sep 17

My guess 106 pages at least.

 **Heyyyy, it was 75, but good guess! And thank you for reviewing!**

 **18)** Frankie chapter 23 . Sep 18

Just found your story today and I binge read the entire thing. I love what you're doing with it.  
I hope Nathaniel pulls through and I really hope Chloe gets what's coming to her. I feel she gets away with too much in the show. So, having extra evil chloe get brought down will be amazing.  
I'm also curious as to what happened to Fu and I can only assume.  
Please see this story through to the end. I can't wait.

 **Awww thank you, don't worry, everything will tie up in the sequel, I promise, so stay tuned!And thank you for the review!**

 **19)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 18

Jkk

 **Babe, talk to meeee!I don't understand *sobs loudly***

 **20)** Lilja Olafsson chapter 23 . Sep 20

OMG IM ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT! HURRY UP AND POST IT PLEASE!

 **Oooooohhhh!I'm so happy I got to evoke that reaction from you! Thank you for reviewing!**

 **21)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 20

Oh gosh this is hands down the BEST CHAPTER I'VE EVER READ! How the heck did you come up with this?!ps I think it was around 20-25 pages for Microsoft word in size 14 calibri body font

 **Awwww thank you!I really tried hard on it! It was actually 75 pages, but good try! And thank you so much for reviewing!**

 **22)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 21

OH MY GOSH PLEASE DONT KILL HER... without some great explaination at least" Btw ive just marathoned this and i absolutly love it

 **Omg I love FF marathons, do you have any suggestions?I feel I've read like everything! Don't worry, I wont kill her heee heee, and thank you for reviewing!**

 **23)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 22

Can't wait for the next one...hope you do a sequel to this mine to your

 **Hee heee, of course! Hope youre pumped!Thank you for this review!**

 **24)** Miralove chapter 23 . Sep 22

OH MY FREAAAAAAKIIIING LOVEE! So much talent kills me, why do you write so good?!

Now I'm dying, call an ambulance, no, better, I need part two for salvation!

And the pages were, 6 I think

 **Heyyy Mira! Noooo don't die! Part two is ouuuutttt, man, six?Ahhh it was 75 :'( Thank you for reviewing!**

 **25)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 22

And 6 pages

 **Noooooo :'( Thank you for trying though!**

 **26)** MadiAmbrie chapter 23 . Sep 22

Ahhhhhh! This was what I said when I saw you updated. I was insanely happy! You have made my week! Alright anyways the chapter:  
I loved it! Again amazing. I liked how much more involved Alya was in all of this. The piano scene was wonderful! That was really sweet and it showed the Adrien in Chat. But now the BIG scene. My goodness I was flinching the whole time Chat attacked Marcus. It was gruesome and also very well written! I loved reading the initial quote even though I also hated it cause of how horrible the situation was. Now I know a lot of people are hating on Marinette right now but if I just saw someone destroy another human being like that while enjoying it enough to laugh I would definitely have a few things to say myself. Of course I do have to admit she did know everything Chat was capable of so she put herself in that situation. But Chat took it too far and shouldn't think he can walk in with a swift apology ~ which he doesn't think he can. Still I love both Chat and Marinette and I do hope that they work this out which I'm sure they will. I just really hope Chat doesn't take it as far as he did with Marcus when or if (depending if Tikki somehow finds Marinette and she's able to Ladybug herself out of the situation) he finds the people who have kidnapped her.  
Im really looking forward to a few things though like...  
~Marinette as Ladybug  
~The big Chat/Adrien reveal  
~Chloe getting everything she deserves  
~Possibly a flash forward to see Nino with his miraculous?  
~Not that I'm looking forward to it but seeing when Marinette finally learns Nathanael has been in the hospital  
~Seeing what happened with the Master Fu situation  
~What a villain Chat free Paris is going to be like  
~When or if Chloe finds out Chats Adrien  
There's plenty more but I need to stop cause I've already typed so much haha. I honestly do feel like I'm forgetting something though...  
Oh well if I remember I just leave another comment!  
I'm gonna tell you this again and it probably won't be for the last time you're an amazing writer. Like I said I was flinching during the whole attack scene it was all so real. You bring this all to life you're amazing. Your fanfic is also purely amazing and I'm sad but also happy to see it ending. I would love though if after you've finished this fic that maybe you could make a sequel or a one-shot of all the characters lives "now". That'd be awesome! Alright alright this review is insanely long. Love you love your writing love this fic!

 **You're exactly right, honestly, if I were her and I saw my man slaughtering some guy and barely listening to anything Im saying, I would go cold and crazy on him too, they will work it out, they always doooo, okay so**

 **~done**

 **~Hmm, done**

 **~Getting there**

 **~Nopeee**

 **~Eeeep, perhaps it will happen soon**

 **~Getting there**

 **~IF she ever finds out, which I doubt**

 **Awwww thank you so so so much, I try my best, and I can tell you that it isn't ending any time soon,I love you too, and I'm so happy to have you guys to support me, it makes everything worth while, thank you so much for this review!**

 **27)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 23

This is really really good. Really intense and amazing chapter. Please please update again soon!

 **Thanks!I'll update asap okay? Thank you so much for reviewing!**

 **28)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 23

I can't wait for the chapter, been having a bad day and this made me better...can't wait for the next one

 **Awww man, sorry about your bad day, I hate those, I hope youre ready for the sequel!and thank you so much for reviewing!**

 **29)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 24

I love this fan fiction so so much !  
I've been waiting s long for the final chapter I cant believe its already here. All that's left is part 2.  
don't stop

27 pages ?

 **Okay, I'll make it as long as possible, as long as you continue to support me, deal?Thank you so much for reviewing!**

 **30)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 24

OBVIOUSLY ME NOT! I DIDN'T ACCEPT IT AND DIDN'T SIGN FOR THE FEELS. This chapter is a masterpiece please update the second part I am waI ting for it anxiously. I can't wait to see what will happen

 **Heee hheee, the next part is out, and I hope you enjoy it!Also thank you for reviewing!**

 **31)** Ti chapter 23 . Sep 24

Rara you dirty brother killer I know what you did there, stop making us wait man. Bro, pal, friend. I don't want to hurt you but stop letting us all suffer. I thought we had something man, I thought you had a s pecial bonding with the readers like Adrien and Nino have

 **Pffft Babe suffering is a certain step of falling in love! I'm sure that's what Margaret Mitchell actually meant! Lmao**

 **32)** Character chapter 23 . Sep 24

When I compare Adrien now with Adrien from the past chapters you can see a character development. This is a huge success and it pleases me in so many ways. I love to see how characters change and develope into someone better.

 **I tried really hard with him, I'm happy that you guys notice, thank you so much for reviewing!**

 **33)** Undertale chapter 23 . Sep 24

I'M EMOTIONALLY AND MENTALLY NOT READY AND STABLE .

 **NO!You're brave and awesome and you can do this!Thank you for reviewing!**

 **34)** Alya chapter 23 . Sep 24

I love how Alya is taking more part in this story, since she is my favorite character. I laughed when she taught that Nino is cheating on her with Adrien aka Chat Noir.

 **Lmao I wanted to add her for ages! That part, I just had to, to show how close the boys had actually gotten, thank you for reviewing!**

 **35)** Sonikku chapter 23 . Sep 24

I'm gotta go and catch my feelings back. Since I didn't know that I was being signed up for this shit.  
I didn't agree to this.

Gotta go

 **I would help you but like my feelings are having their own way with me here too, I'm pretty sure they're having fun killing me lmao, thank you for reviewing!**

 **36)** Angelica Ham chapter 23 . Sep 24

I CAME AS SOON AS I HEARD

 **I'm glad!And I hope you enjoyed it!Thank you for reviewing!**

 **37)** Sans chapter 23 . Sep 24

It's a beautiful day outside.  
Birds are singing,  
Flowers are blooming  
On days like these  
Authors like you, shouldn't be allowed to give me so many feelings.

 **Lmao I LOL'ed at this review! I do try to though, hee hee, thank you so much for reviewing!**

 **38)** Ahaber chapter 23 . Sep 24

PLEASE PLEASE UPDATE I NEED TO KNOW HOW IT CONTINUES

 **Oki! As you wish!Thank you for reviewing!**

 **39)** Vandextra chapter 23 . Sep 24

My heart was everywhere with this chapter. Absolutely canNOT wait for update. Ohmygooooosh

 **Don't worry I felt the same writing it, I'm glad you liked it and thank you for reviewing!**

 **40)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 25

update !update !update !  
I love this story

 **I did!And the sequel will be out sooooon! Thank you so much for reviewing!**

 **41)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 25

I think it's 75 pages

 **Wow!SPOT ON!WELL DONE! Thank you for guessing and reviewing!**

 **42)** An chapter 23 . Sep 25

Me again :)  
I just noticed that the last time you updated this story was last year . Pls I need other chapter so pls author update this Amazing story.

 **Hey love!Going to respond to your other reviews here too, I'm so so so glad that you love the story! Also, wait, last year? But I've been updating monthly,eeeepp! I'll update as soon as I can, which will be soon enogh because I'm going on holiday now,Thank you for reviewing !**

 **43)** Winter chapter 23 . Sep 26

Hello there! I just finished reading your story and guess what! I love it! I want the next chapter pls

 **Heyyy! Awww thanks! Don't worry, it will be out soon! TY for reviewing!**

 **44)** Melany chapter 23 . Sep 26

Hi! I just read the sneak peaks and I can't wait anymore! I want a next chapter pls!

 **Hiiii! The sequel will be out soon, I promise! TY for the review!**

 **45)** Elena chapter 23 . Sep 26

This is amazing.I already want to read the final chapter!

 **Awww thanks! It's outttt, thank you for reviewing!**

 **46)** Mari chapter 23 . Sep 26

Ok I need to say it! It's amazing! I fell in love with your story. Can I make a request? Can we see an epilogue in which one Marinette and Adrien have kids? It's his dream... having a family. A real one. Have a good day!

 **Hmmm, you know what, sure, why not?It wont be an epilogue, maybe a twoshot or something since the story isn't done yet… You too! And thank you for reviewing!**

 **47)** Marco chapter 23 . Sep 26

This touched my heart. You are an amazing writer! Pls write an scene with Marinette and Adrien's kids. He deserves a real family.

 **Hee hee, sure,Mari above wants the same thing, so I'll try my best, thank you for reviewing!**

 **48)** Daniel chapter 23 . Sep 26

I'm not good at waiting. Pls update soon.

 **I'll try my best, thank you for reviewing!**

 **49)** Irene chapter 23 . Sep 26

Poor Adrien...he went through a lot. Thank you for writing this story.  
These kind of subjects: rape , abortion, etc... many times are ignored.  
But you managed to write about them in your story and at the same time making us aware that regardless of being a women or man we can be a victim. And doesn't mean that you are "less man" or a "'whore".

So thank you. I really want to read the end of the story. I already imagined a Marinette and Adrien with their kids in a nice house. All of them very happy...

 **You're welcome,and you're right, they really are, but they're something I feel strongly about, especially rape, male rape is one of the most overlooked crimes of the century and honestly Irene I cannot tell you just how much it gets to me that there are little boys, teens and men who have to suffer in silence, society has taken a stand against rape, but most of the time female rape is focussed on, and I'm not saying that's wrong,rape is excruciating no matter what gender it is you are, it leaves you paranoid and afraid and wondering what you could have possibly done to deserve it, it sickens me, and the fact that male rape is overlooked just… breaks me. So many men and women, children and teens are quiet about it, because of the blackmail and fear of what people think, I think that's what pushed me to write this story. I want people to realise just how conniving these rapist bastards and bitches are, they play games with you, and the manipulate you into believing you can't get help, but there's always help, the choice is up to you to be brave and speak the heck out. Sorry, I'm ranting eekkkk, anyway, yes someday they will be happy, I'll try not to end this in tragedy!**

 **50)** Hi chapter 23 . Sep 26

Okay I need to know what happens in the next chapter. Pls update soon.

 **Okay I will!And thank you for reviewing!**

 **60)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 27

345 page

 **75 pages eeeepp! Thank you for trying, and reviewin!**

 **61)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 28

Hello can u pls update soon? Plsss I really love this story

 **I will, I promise! Awww, I''m glad you do!Thank you for reviewing!**

 **62)** Hi chapter 23 . Sep 28

I already imagined them in a beautiful house with their kids ... you are an amazing writer!

 **Awww okay I have to do that two-shot now!**

 **63)** Simon chapter 23 . Sep 28

I love your story! It's really amazing. Pls update soon. I really want to Know what kind of end you wrote! Maybe you wrote them with their kids?

 **Lmao thank you! Like I soooo have to do that twoshot, like if you read up, everyone is imagining them with their kids! Thank you for reviewing!**

 **64)** any chapter 23 . Sep 28

Hello! Ok I need the final chapter. Your story is spectacular! Can't wait for the end. Plsss update soon.

 **Heee heee thanks! Oh the end is farrrrr away, but thank you for reviewing!**

 **65)** Joe chapter 23 . Sep 28

Pls update soon

 **Oki!Thank you for this review!**

 **66)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 28

I can't wait anymore please update soon

 **The sequel will begin soon!Thank you for reviewing!**

 **67)** Nanami chapter 23 . Sep 28

Plsss post the final chapter

 **Done!Hope youre ready for the sequel!And thanks for the review!**

 **68)** Marinette chapter 23 . Sep 28

I really love your story. Update soon pls :)

 **Awwww, oki!Thank you so much for reviewing!**

 **69)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 28

OH MY GOODNESSS. THE FEELS MAN. THE FEELS. WOAHHHHHHHHHH. I love how long the chapters are. Chat is crazy. I don't blame for marinette saying those things. But seriously he should've went to her sooner! I also liked how you added the kidnappers voices about their kids. It gives the readers insight to why they're helping her and not refusing. PLEASE RELEASE THE PART 2 SOON. CANT WAIT. THANK YOU!

 **Heee heee I'm glad you got the feels, I was throwing emotion into the chapter in truckloads! It's released and I hope youre ready for the sequel!Thank you for reviewing!**

 **70)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 28

update plz  
I luv the story so much

 **Awww thank you, and I will soon! Thank you for reviewing!**

 **71)** Adrien chapter 23 . Sep 28

Post the final chapter pls

 **It's up!Ready for the sequel?Thanks for the R &R!**

 **72)** Elena chapter 23 . Sep 28

I want to read the final chapter plsssss

 **Hee hee, its out! Thank you for reviewing!**

 **73)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 29

OMG i NEED more of this! I need Final Part 2, and even though I am sad it is almost over, I cannot wait much longer!

 **It's out, and I hope you're just as pumped for the sequel!**

 **74)** Guest chapter 23 . Sep 29

PLEASE I LOVE THE STORY TOO MUCH JUST SEND OUT THE LAST CHAPTER *cries in a corner*

 **Don't cryyy!NOO don't cryyy! It's out! Thank you for reviewing!**

 **75)** EGE chapter 23 . Sep 29

I doubt I'm right but 20. Also please update soon!

 **Ahhhh man, it was 75, thank you for reviewing and trying!**

 **76)** Stefi chapter 23 . Sep 29

Hello dear author! I really admire your story! Pls update soon!

 **Hey there, thank you! And I will, thank you for reviewing!**

 **77)** Readallday1234 chapter 23 . Oct 1

I felt sooo sad for chat, after seeing mari get kiss by someone else...heartbroking. I love your detail about chat emotion on reacting to mari. It basic and realistic. The whole story doesn't feel rush and push to get to a center point.. we see the tense between chat and mari, the calm before the strom, and the resolution(hopefully). And getting marinatte to become ladybug later is a really plus, because other would have try to bring her in soon. You Capture chatnoir pain and past, his point of view, his story, his downfall and redemption. You show a really grown in the story, taking the storyline one step at a time...also love how you didn't forget nino, Adrien best friend. At the beginning, you had a big puzzle, now you just need to finish the last few piece...then we will see the big picture, you were telling us. Thank for writing this and until next time

 **Awww I'm so happy that you got everything I was trying to convey, it was difficult at times but I tried to be as realistic as possible, thank you for reading, understanding what I was trying to do and reviewing!**

 **78)** Sol chapter 23 . Oct 2

Helloo can you pls update soon? Thanks

 **Okiiii!Thanks for the R!**

 **79)** Guest chapter 23 . Oct 3

JUST POST PLEASE. HELP ME KEEP MY SANITY BY TELLING ME WHAT HAPPENS. PLEASEEEEE

 **Hee heee, its out, thank your for reviewing, hope the chapter keeps you sane!**

 **80)** Guest chapter 23 . Oct 3

I can't wait for the next chapter! The chapters length always satisfy me

 **Hee hee, took forever to type though,eeek, thank you so much though and thanks for the R!**

 **81)** Wha chapter 23 . Oct 3

Ra raaaaaa! I HATE cliffhangers. Pleaaasee post it pleaaaseee.

 **I'm sorrrryyyyyyy!Thank you for reviewing though!**

 **82)** Justmiraculous chapter 23 . Oct 3

This is one of my favorite fanfictions about MLB EVER! And I'm a picky reader. I mean I read a lot but I forget 80% of the fanfics I read and I gotta say I've been to your fanfic site more than I can count ( ok thats exxaggeration but still its one of my special favorites. I love the chloe-abuse idea. Don't get me wrong, I dont approve of abuse but the idea is very original ( and new!) and the plot is shaped intellegently. I love your writing style, the wide varietions of vocabulary and your detailed writing on portraying the you can literally feel the anguish of marinette and shock/pain of chat. I also like the idea of chat noir!criminal. For some reason it suits him better. I like authors who change the roles of characters. For ex: one of my other favorites is called "the declaration of love" by imthepunchlord. Its short, sweet and a bit comical. Basically marinette gets the peacock and adrien gets the fox miraculous, and personally I think that suits him better. Honestly the fox kwami in the fanfic was sooo much better than plagg in ANY other fanfic so...yeah. I dont know if you read imthepunchlords works but if you didnt my advice would be give it a shot becuase he/she has many creative ideas that you can be inspired of.  
I'd say read  
1-) Pracitically ALL of the works of imthepunchlord ( over the wall, lucky fox paradox, a declaration of love, chat sith, grumpy cat (though dont read the second and third book of grumpy cat - minpa and chapa- its extremely sad. Even the author said it doesn't have to count as the ending of the whole thing. Its just depression honestly) the thing why imthepumchlord is my favorite is that she/ he has really changed the roles of the characters. Like literally a LOT. Thats what I like to see in an author. Choosing a different path, presenting a different perspective. Opening a new view, a new door to the reader and giving them a taste of what things could be or what things SHOULD be.I think thats what a reader looks for the most in an author. I mean I read a lot of fanfics with identical stuff. I mean don't repeat what other authors already published ( like the adrienette fanfics for ex. Big deal adrien found marinette cute. So what!? He found uer adorable! So?! Buddy we are past that already do something new.) Now is it going to be easy? Of course not! How do you think all great authors in the history were famous in the first place? They did the unpredictable and thought the unthinkable. That never means you can't do it. It just means you are just one person in all of those crowds of people who are looking for the right spark to set them flying. If you want that spark earlier, than just search and think a little harder than others. Create something new, find something new. Like the chloe-abuse idea? Now THATS new. I 've always seen chloe as just an annoying brat whose continually ignored in all of the fanfics I read. Definitely not a person with power .But this fanfic helped me see a much crueler side of chloe than a whining child. I'd say its really good actually. Because chloe gained a new and better importance in the story. She's more significant now, more rememerable.  
Note to author;  
If you ever happen to answer the reviews posted please tell me your thoughts and ideas on the fanfics listed below/upward or just did u like them or not? Its hard to find someone close to me to discuss my interest in the MLB Fandom these days so I kinda got into the int. And you are one of the authors I admire...so it would be awesome if you wrote your thoughts.

2-) the works of ghostgirl19 ( a few of her works are really original especially "on the prowl" Now thats REALLY popular. ( I also love selfless and one way or another too they're really good as well)  
3-)through a dolls eye by eNcee death ( her writing skills . .best ever...and she's really pleasant and polite. Just read her authors note! Honestly it made me smile and feel warm inside.  
4-) the red string of fate by somethin weasely ? I dunno. But if you just write the name and " miraculous ladybug fanfiction" it directly comes up. This one is a bit comical mostly emotional ( I love the part where hawkmoth comes up. You'll understand if you read it. Its really humorous)  
5-) I give you limited time by demifics. This one chapter fanfic will make you cry your hearts out. Its Extremely EXTREMELY SAD . If you do NOT like sad fanfics I advice you STAY AWAY from this one as far as possible as if your life depends on it. But if you want to experience how to write an emotion-moving or inspirational fanfic, I'd say you are on the correct spot. Honestly read it. Really. The plot is very very original. One of my favorites actually ( And I DESPISE fanfictions with sad endings) but this one...I mean it .

 **Hey! Awww thank you, and thank you for these suggestions, I have read most of them, except option five, I'm not too keen on the whole tragedy thing, like that ish messes me up emotionally, to the extent that I don't read a book unless it's complete because I need to know if the end has a tragedy, fanfictions been messing me up pretty badly tbh because Ive been reading some fics that just stop of have these heartbreaking endings, I have a really really weak heart for these things so its difficult to actually read them, but yeah, thank you for reviewing!**

 **83)** Person chapter 23 . Oct 4

F I'd gsisbdudbdidbdishs9sbdidydksbdhcjbfj WHYYYYYYYYY OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG. Deep breaths deep breaths ahhhhhh. Okay, how tf did Chloe ALREADY find someone else to do her dirty work for her?! Lile wtf? Ugh just skip to the rescue and happy ending kiss and all is well gosh omg I can't do this I need closure...ok ok I'm don't ranting. Now for compliments: I fudging love this story and the fact u included explanations for the kwamis and miraculous and such was so cool! Also just like, I love the plot, always keeps it interesting. And ahhhhhhhh I can't believe she still doesn't know he's Adrien...will she ever find out? She better or imma cry...for the lile 10th time in this story ahhh ok can't wait! Thanks for being an amazing author!

 **Lmao omg skip to the happy ending? Hee heee thanks! I really tried hard with this,awww thank you again for the compliments and for the review!**

 **84)** Guest chapter 23 . Oct 4

JUSTMIRACULOUS!  
You have the same thinking as me! Ghostgirl19 and imthepunchlord are both amazing ~ along with you RaraErzaHeartfilia! I love On the Prowl Selfless (I really hope she continues it) and a lot of others by Ghostgirl19. Imthepunchlord's Over the Wall was the first of his/hers that I read and now I read almost all of his/her stories and I'm reading some of the ones he/she has faved or followed. The red string of fate I have read it was really good but I can't remember the author or other works by them I may have to look into that again. I'll also have to look into eNcee. I do like fanfics with ChatNoir as the villain. I also agree about the adrienette getting kind of old. I do read some and like them but I don't like them as much as say this fanfic. I have found a couple that are new or at least I haven't seen anything like them such as "Please Check Your Number and Try Your Call Again" by kathaka9. I would strongly recommend "The Crossroads of Life" by LightningStrike83 it think it is really good. I have read many MLB fanfics that are really good but I have a pretty bad memory so that's about all I can point you to. But anyways I hope you see this. And sorry RaraErzaHeartfilia for using your review but hey if you wanna look into any of these do because they're great!  
Until next time ~ Bye!

 **Awww I'm happy you think my writings good…Ahh, it's chilled, just don't make a habit of it, oki? 3**

 **84)** Guest chapter 23 . Oct 6

Tbh this is the best ML fanfic I've ever read so far. Totally non-cringey and so suspenseful and sad

 **Awwww I'm glad you like it!Don't worry there's much more to come!Thank you for reviewing!**

 **85)** Luna Willows chapter 23 . Oct 6

I think this chapter may have taken up...22-32 pages? That's my guess. But this was a very good chapter. I hope Tikki finds Marinette soon, though. I wonder if Tikki would be able to sense Marinette's presence. I mean, Master Fu did give her some weird stuff when she got sick. But I can't wait for part 2! EEEEEE! So excited!

 **Heyy!75 pages, I'm glad you thought so!Heee hee, I hope you're just as excited for the sequel!Thank you for reviewing!**

 **86)** ML4ever chapter 23 . Oct 7

Love this soooooo much please keep writing you are so incredibly talented!

 **Awwww thank youuu! And thank you for reviewing!**

 **87)** DieLaughing chapter 23 . Oct 8

56 pages

 **75 pages, but that's a pretty good guess, thank you for trying!And reviewing!**

 **88)** Hi chapter 23 . Oct 9

Don't be cruel to us anymore pls :c we want to read another chapter

 **I'll update soon!Thank you for reviewing!**

 **89)** Andrew chapter 23 . Oct 11

Please hurry!

 **Okay I will!Thank you for the review!**

 **90)** Guest chapter 23 . Oct 11

I have to know what happens! Please update as soon as possible!

 **I will!You'll know soon enough, thank you for the review!**

 **91)** Fonz chapter 23 . Oct 12

Girl your killing me with suspence...!

 **I'm sorry!But I'll be posting soo, thank you for reviewing!**

 **92)** Guest chapter 23 . Oct 14

RA RA PLEAE POST IT. I CANT TAKE IT ANYMORE. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS. MY LIFE IS NOTHING WITHOUT YOUR STORY.

 **Awww babe, don't say that, tbh my life is nothing without you guys, I'll update soon, I promise!Thank you for reviewing!**

 **93)** Guest chapter 23 . Oct 14

I am so sad to see this go. But hopefully you will come up with another Amazing fanfic that I can fall in love with, so please update this as soon as possible because I need to know what happens! Have a good day/night (whatever it is where u live) love your writing, bye!

 **Don't you worry, we have tons more to go!Thank you for reviewing!**

 **94)** Guest chapter 23 . Oct 22

love this story so ,much cant wait for finale chapter

 **Awww thanks!Hope youre ready for the next part!Thank you for reviewing!**

 **95)** Guest chapter 23 . Oct 22

OMG you have to update soon! I'm on the edge of my seat and I've practically fallen off!

 **I will, I'm glad I got you tensed up!Hee hee, thank you for reviewing!**

 **96)** MorbidCheeseLoaf chapter 23 . Oct 22

just dont. dont make my poor soul wait any longer. i am dying and i need this before my life ends. plz post the next soon, my scheduled death date is October 27th. post before then or my tortured soul will haunt you with writers block for the rest of your days.

 **Lmao pffft, Ghosts cant get me, #Protectedbytheblood Buttttt I will be updating soon, and I hope you like it!Thank you for reviewing!**

 **97)** Guest chapter 23 . Oct 25

This is so good please update as soon possible please!

 **Oki oki! I will soon!Thanks!And thank you for reviewing!**

 **FINAL CHAPTER:PART TWO**

 **(WILL UPDATE TODAY)**

 **Hey guys!I'll post the next CHAPTER guest responses once all the reviews flow in, I wanna say a big thank you to you all BTW,I love and appreciate you,feel free to drop a review, thought,question, anything, I will respond :D**

 **REVIEW! ASK! …GIVE ME LOVE! Lmao,ttyl!**

 **XOXO**

 **Ra Ra**


	12. Mutilated

Chat woke up around five. It was Thursday, and still dark out. He yawned and blinked the sleep out of his eyes. A small hand held comfortably on his face made him aware of the young woman asleep on the floor, with her head against the chaise. He sat up, aware that he was still holding her hand. Tilting his head, he took in her sleeping face.

"Silly princess, sleeping on the floor isn't healthy." He said softly, gracefully standing up and slipping his arms around her delicately sleeping frame. Her head lay on his chest and he walked slowly to her ladder, choosing to carry her to her bed slowly instead of just jumping into the loft. He shifted her a bit before drawing back her covers and placing her underneath them.

He covered her up and stood back, watching her sleep. He was quite aware that it was a creepy thing for him to be doing.

He was also quite aware that he didn't feel like stopping, and that he had no intention of doing so. He glanced at the phone lying next to her pillow.

He picked it up with a curious expression, wanting to look through her conversations. He mentally berated himself.

No, he couldn't do that. Invading her room was one thing, going through her personal conversations was another.

He did however, change her alarm time from 6 a.m, to 6 p.m , so that when she wondered why her alarm had not sounded, she'd see her mistake.

Chat recalled what Chloe said, and if that thing planned on making Marinette's pants rip, she would be sorely disappointed. He smirked to himself.

But he wouldn't be, he had a plan. Last night, he recorded those men…He could broadcast it on Live TV…It would ruin her…But that was one recording…So how much more would multiple recordings do?

He had never thought to record Chloe blackmailing him over the phone.

His reasoning was completely simple.

Fear of her finding out.

It was stupid, but if you were in the situation, you would understand how terryfing just the thought of being caught was.

Oh, but as Chat Noir?

It could be possible, but how would Chat Noir record something that Chloe said to Adrien when HE was Adrien?

But even if he couldn't get a confession from her…He could get her a sentence for her crimes against Marinette…

It was something, he would take it.

If Paris knew how conniving she really was, maybe they wouldn't love her as much as she said they did…

He knelt on the floor next to Marinette's bed, resting an arm on her bed and laying his head on it. Today was his photo-shoot, and afterwards he had the Ravensburg Fashion Show to model for,that would only end around 8 in the evening. There would be maximum security at the event and slinking out as Chat wasn't an option. He would be expected to stay for the after party which ended at 12, but if he didn't leave then he wouldn't be able to see Marinette(Awake, that is).

He sighed. Couldn't he just… ditch the photo-shoot and say he got attacked by Chat Noir or something?..

He groaned. If he did that then the news would reach his father and it would be the end of his independence.

Chat stood up and retrieved his plushies before sitting at the bottom of Marinette's bed. For a while he just stared at them, with a final glance at the sleeping woman, he began to play with the plushies.

"Hi Marinette. I'm Chat Noir." He said, holding the Chat plushy.

"Hi Chat Noir! *Gasp* How did you know my name?" He mimics Marinette's voice, bringing Marinette's plush hands to her plush face in shock.

"I found it! Nyaaa haa haa haa!"He makes the Chat plush say, before making hopping motions with the Plush to the Marinette plush.

"Where?" Marinette plush asks.

"In your…Diary!Nyaaaa haaa ha haa,NYAAA HA HA HA!"He says as the Chat plush.

Plushy Marinette growls, and Chat drops the mini Chat to place the plush pan in Marinette's plush hands.

"How dare you! Come here you alley cat!" He squeaks in Marinette's voice.

He makes the Marinette plushy chase his one, she eventually throws the pan at the mini chat, Chat drops mini chat(Plushy Chat) on the bed.

"Oh princess, you wound me!" He says, making his plush grab its chest.

"I'm sorry chaton, have some quiche!" He makes Marinette say.

"Chump chump chump!" He says, smashing the quiche plush in the face of mini Chat.

"You must be tired now." Marinette plushy says.

"Indeed I am, princess, but before I sleep, I want something from you."

"Ohhhh, whats that?" Marinette plushy says hopping closer.

He brings the plushies millimeters apart, and their faces are almost touching.

He glances at each of the plushies, deviously.

A small smirk forms on his immaculate face.

"…More quiche." He whispers, and Marinette plushy jumps back in embarrassment.

"Mangy cat!" She says, or rather Chat says in Marinette's voice, chasing mini Chat with her pan, but suddenly Mini chat turns, causing the Marinette plushy to drop her pan and almost fall.

Chat makes mini chat catch her.

"Oh Chat, thank you for catching me." Marinette plushy squeaks out.

"It's no problem, princess."

"However shall I thank you?" Marinette plushy says as she looks at mini chat.

"Hmmm…"Mini Chat humms.

Chat stares at the plushies for a second, and suddenly, barely registering what he was doing, he smooshes the plushies faces together in a kiss.

Horror creeps into his eyes, and he freezes at what he has done.

"Urmm…"Real Marinette says.

Chat looks up, mortified, the plushies are still in a kissing position.

Marinette barely realizes what's happening…But Chat doesn't know that.

"Errr…I swear this is not what it looks like."Chat says upon seeing the awake woman that he thought was asleep.

Marinette blinks.

"I was just playing with them." He explains.

"And one thing led to another." He says as a blazing red blush covers his face.

Marinette still doesn't know what he's saying, she's not really awake yet.

Chat looks down at the two still connected plushies and he hastily rips them from each other.

Marinette yawns.

"Silly chaton."She says and flops down onto her pillow once more.

Chat sighs in relief.

The red blush on his face remains, and he glares at the Chat plush, as if it were the one to initiate contact with Mini Marinette.

He sighed, picking up mini Chat.

No, mini Chat was innocent, it was him that was the freak of nature.

What was he thinking?

He looked at Marinette's clock, it was now 6:15.

He needed to get home and get ready for the photo-shoot and then the Ravensburg Fashion Show. He was one of the fifty famous Catwalk model's asked to model for the five Collections that Anton Ravensburg would be releasing this evening.

Catwalk…Oh the irony.

Chat walked around Marinette's bed and again knelt on the floor next to it at her head-side.

He quietly watched her sleep once more. He smiled fondly at his first real friend as she turned towards him in her sleep. Some of her hair had gotten into her mouth, he pulled it out and brushed it out of her beautiful face.

His hand lingered for a moment before the rational part of his brain forced him to draw his hand away from his princess.

Chat stood up and jumped down from the loft, ripped a memo page from the pad and wrote down a note in his elegant writing:

 _Goodmorning, Princess. I hope you had a lovely sleep. I had to leave a bit early because I have some business to attend to, and a fashion show I have to model in this evening. Anyway, a few days ago I overheard a few guys say that they were asked to attack you, and yesterday I heard that someone would try to 'get you' today… Be careful, don't disregard your safety, or I might as well kill you myself._

 _Claws out, Princess._

He jumped back up to her loft and stuck the note to her phone.

He contemplated something for a few seconds before eventually leaning down, brushing some of her hair away from her forehead, and pressing a gentle kiss to it.

It was a normal thing to do. He remembered his mother doing it every day when she was around…

He retrieved his plushies, climbed out the trapdoor, and locked it. It was still fairly dark out, and the wind was cold. He took a deep breath, let the air bite his skin for the slightest of seconds, and then he was gone.

Several hours later, Chat lay in the backseat of his limo, returning from the Ravensburg photo-shoot. He needed to go home, shower, and return for the fashion show as he was one of the runway models, but that was an understatement…

He was the 'first-out' for collection 5.

That meant he would be the main face of collection 5, which was -according to Anton Ravensburg- his favourite one.

He had been told that the Martin twins, Cassio and Leo Martin were the main faces of the Ravensburg collection, and though not as much adored and Universally recognized as Adrien was, the twins were loved by most of Paris, and were extremely handsome.

They would be the faces of collections 1 and 2.

A man named Dominique Lestrange would be main-face for collection 3.

Collection 4 would be covered by Blaise Mendes.

The 45 or so other models were not as famous as the five but were quite dashing and well-known in their own right.

He rubbed his eye. It really itched, some make-up had gotten into it earlier, and now his eye was slightly red.

He groaned, a make-up artist and one of his father's apprentices would be arriving at his house to do his make-up and hide the black eye as well as give him the outfit Gabriel wanted him to wear so that he would look immaculate once more when he stepped out of his limo.

Adrien showered when he got home, and walked into his room, glancing at the plushies that lay on the bed. He smiled, got dressed and waited for the make-up artist to touch up his face. Hopefully, Marinette was okay. If he found out someone had attacked his friend, there would be hell to pay.

After the long drive to the Fashion show, they arrived to find thousands of screaming fans.

To see one model was one thing, but to see five highly esteemed ones and 45 other really handsome ones had sent the fans into a craze.

He noted the 4 other limos, each parked as designated locations.

His eyes widened suddenly as he noted the 200 or so men in bullet proof vests carrying large guns.

Even as Chat Noir, that would be tricky to escape from.

Another 250 men were pushing back the fans with large plastic shields. Adrien raised a brow.

He was surprised that so many people were jeopardizing their lives by waiting outside a fashion show that they would never get into, right before crime time began.

He shook his head. So Marinette wasn't the only one who was uninterested with her safety…

He looked at his driver, and his assistant who was carrying everything Adrien may possibly need for the after-party.

"I'm going to leave with a few of the other models after the after-party, don't wait for me." He said.

They nodded.

A message popped up on his phone. It was time to step onto the red carpet that Anton(Ravensburg)thought would be fun to set out.

His assistant opened the door, and the deafening roar of the fans pierced the air.

He fought the urge to block his ears, as he smiled and waved to them. He glanced to his sides and found that he and the four other famous men, were making their way into the building together. At the entrance, they all turned, and got ready to pose. They were all wearing the designer clothing of the fashion lines that they were _actually_ full-time models for. Adrien stood at the center. They were each given a particular pose to do, and since Anton asked so nicely a week prior to the event, they all obliged.

Adrien's outfit included Gabriel's designer baby-seal boots, a rich maroon pants that had purposely been designed to hang below his waist at the front, but cling to his behind, and a button down white dress shirt – With the sleeves rolled up just below his elbow- that had the first few buttons open, exposing his tanned chest and his six-pack. His hair looked very similar to Chat Noir's but more messed up and his lips (and every other model's lips) had been coated in matte black(Another request of Anton). A black string necklace with a green emerald at the center hung around his neck. He didn't need to use the glasses as the artist had covered the bruise up brilliantly.

He groaned. Why did he always get the overly seductive pose?

He brought his elegant index finger to his mouth and slipped it between his right canines, bit down and plastered a playful, seductive look to his face, his other hand drifted down to the bottom of his dress shirt, and hoisted it quite high up, exposing his deep V-line ,and even more of his toned abdomen and perfectly tanned skin.

Camera's flashed wildly and the crowd grew even louder, the boys turned, entered the building and went to their respective dressing rooms without another word. They all knew that though they were devilishly handsome, they would never be as perfect as Adrien was, and they despised him for it.

Adrien hardly noticed though as he made his way to the dressing room, his mind heavily occupied with thoughts of Marinette.

What if she thought he was weird after she saw him making their plushies kiss?

She hadn't reacted badly, but still…

And he had a really horrible feeling in his gut that something bad was going to go down today…

There was still an hour before the show began, and since he was modeling Collection 5, he had at least 2 and a half hours to relax.

He slipped out of his private dressing room and walked backstage. He looked around at all the normal models and curiously watched as heavy make-up and designs were plastered on their faces.

It was common knowledge that the Agreste heir did NOT use heavy make-up, lipstick, eyeliner and mascara were fine for him, concealer was used once in a while, but he did not make a habit of it, mostly because Gabriel loved telling people that his son was perfect and had no use for make-up which annoyed Adrien to no ends as he had nothing against the cosmetics that helped so many people out there in all aspects of life.

He ran a hand through his soft hair, and turned to the wardrobe selection, but what caught his attention wasn't the selection, it was the bluenette in the Emerald-green, mermaid, lace evening dress with lacy long sleeves, her shoulders were bare and the lacy emerald sleeves started from her underarm and clung to her arms as if painted on. She looked so beautiful with her silky hair up in a loose updo with tendrils hanging around her face, and little green flowers adorning her hair.

He blinked at the young woman whom he had seen just this morning.

She really was the true definition of a princess.

She looked up.

"Adrien!" She greeted cheerfully and it took him a while to remember that his name was Adrien.

"Marinette." He said with a smile.

"Nice pose out there." She giggled and he groaned.

"Fan-service, the downside of being a model."He said, scratching the back of his head.

"It can't be that bad…"She said.

Adrien raised a brow and re-enacted the pose.

Marinette's eyes widened.

"Now, please tell me why they want to see me bite myself?" He asked with his finger still in his mouth.

Marinette turned red.

"I have no idea." She laughed out a little nervously.

Adrien dropped his pose.

"So what brings you here?" Adrien asked.

"Your dad actually, he said he'd like to give me a scholarship and he gave me a few tickets and backstage passes to witness what the fashion industry and events look like up close."

Adrien blinked in shock.

His…dad?

"You barely need it, judging from what you're wearing, you have fashion in the bag. Versace?"

Marinette smiled.

"No,MDC."She says.

"MDC? How have I never heard of it?" He asked, even more shocked.

"That's because I haven't launched it yet, silly." She laughs.

It takes him a moment to realize what she meant.

"You made this?" He asks in awe.

"Yup!" She says, twirling.

She grins at him. "Wow…That's amazing." He says.

"Thank you." She says before staring at something on his face...

"So they do have to do their eyebrows." She says to herself. He catches her words but chooses not to comment, knowing she's making reference to Chat Noirs perfect brows.

"Say, Adrien, pal, my buddy who I accidentally bruised, could I ask you some stuff?"

"Stuff?" He asks with a raised brow.

"Nothing bad. Just to ease my curiosity, pleaaaaaseee!"She says and gives him an innocent grin. He smiles, well with a face like that, how could he say no?

"Go ahead." He says, walking to his private dressing room. Marinette trots behind happily.

They enter the room and he sits on a leather sofa while she sits on a chair and presses a button on her phone.

"Can I record you?"

"Urm, yeah." He says.

"Okay, so I recently made a model friend, he looks about your size, and he told me that models have a specific diet. He visits a lot, so I figured that maybe if I knew what he could eat, I won't mess up by cooking something that he can't. Could you please tell me what kind of food your diet includes?"

He heard Plagg snicker.

Adrien blinked.

She was researching just so that she could cook for Chat… he hadn't asked her to…But she was doing it regardless…

Marinette really was different.

Adrien thought for a moment.

"Mostly light foods, processed foods are a NO, fruits are fine, avocados are slightly fattening in my case so I wouldn't recommend it…"and their conversation continued till Adrien had poured out every bit of information he knew.

Marinette left the room when the show started, thanking him profusely, but Adrien stayed in the room, smiling.

Plagg flew out.

"Thoughtful girl." Plagg said. Adrien looked at him.

"She's such a wonderful person." He said to his kwami.

Plagg nodded.

Adrien sighed, "Do I deserve to be treated this kindly?" He asks timidly.

Plagg sighs.

"Kid, just because Chloe states otherwise, it doesn't mean that you don't deserve happiness. It doesn't mean that someone can't care about you." He says.

Adrien smiles, it's a broken smile, but if you look close enough, it's also hopeful.

"Thanks Plagg." He says, standing.

"Now go out there and cut the cheese." Plagg says.

Adrien looks at him in disgust.

"What, isn't 'break a leg' and 'cut the cheese' similar?" He asks the blonde.

"No Plagg, no they aren't." Adrien says, bursting out into bouts of laughter, and exiting the room with a smile.

* * *

Step,step,step,step,step,step,and stop.

Three second count till next pose.

Pose.

Three seconds.

Shift weight onto opposite leg.

Don't smile, the attention will be on the face and not the clothes if you smile.

Three seconds, pose.

One, two,three, turn.

Step,step,step,step,step,step, enter the backstage area and get into the next outfit.

Adrien was completely professional, every minute detail was thought of, and his entire persona, look,and very being screamed perfection.

It was common knowledge that no two models stride down the Catwalk the same way, it was also common knowledge that it was impossible to copy Adrien's graceful walk.

But if one looked close enough, they would see, that his walk wasn't something they hadn't seen before…for it was the exact walk that Chat Noir himself did.

Perfectly smooth.

Graceful and seductive.

Slow and teasing.

Long strides and perfect posture.

It's just that nobody looked close enough.

Finally, the models of collection five had completed their set, and he stood at the front as 'first-out'.

He walked to the front of the catwalk, as flawlessly as he had done before, and turned with the other nine models at his heels.

Thunderous applause was heard, and excited chattering began. On his way back, he dared to look down for a second to see his beautiful princess at the side of the catwalk, clapping and smiling excitedly.

He looked back up, fighting back his own smile.

Over the past few days it was becoming increasingly difficult to do so…

He stretched once he got backstage, took off his outfit and walked to his private dressing room while the other models went to their shared one.

He entered and flopped onto the couch.

"That was fun." Adrien said to Plagg who was swallowing Camembert.

"Also, now you don't have to sneak out to see Marinette, she's gonna be at the after-party."

"Hmmm…But it's really hard to find anyone in an after party. It's dark, and crowded, and the music is too loud." Adrien says with a frown.

"Don't worry kid, you'll find her. You always do, don't you?" Plagg reasons.

"I guess you're right, Plagg. I'm going to shower." He says.

"Do you need to?"

"Yes, I don't like the feeling of glycerine all over me." Adrien says, rubbing at his shining skin.

"Well hurry, the after-party will start in the hall in just 30 minutes." Plagg drawls.

He looks pointedly at Adrien. "And you take at least 45 minutes in the shower."

Adrien gasps, Plagg was right. And his make-up artist still needed to cover his black eye.

By the time he was done with everything, it was 11 p.m.

Adrien sauntered through the reception area where many designers stood, sipping champagne and gushing over the five collections.

He pushed open the door to the hall and stepped into the dark, flashy, music-filled room.

The models were going berserk.

At least a hundred or so female models were there now, and he looked away when he caught a couple doing… something against a wall.

"Ewww." Plagg said.

"Shhhh." Adrien hushed the kwami.

He was not here to join the festivities. He was just here to stalk his princess.

Adrien walked calmly around and eventually through the crowd.

He couldn't see her anywhere.

If Chloe wanted to 'get' Marinette, this would most likely be the best place.

Just the thought of it left him with a pang in his gut and a horrible feeling in his chest.

No, Marinette would be fine, he would find her and everything would go smoothly.

Adrien growled, his height normally helped him when looking for someone, but in a room full of models who were about his height, it did nothing.

Adrien searched for half an hour to no avail.

He was beginning to think she left…But that couldn't be right, nobody was allowed to leave the premises till 24:00…

He eventually left the hall to get back into reception, or at least he thought he did.

Adrien looked around, he was in a large, cluttered room. Stacks of dressing room chairs piled all the way to the ceiling. Items from various fashion shows lay in titanic piles everywhere.

Adrien heard a few voices.

"-go to jail."

"No, she said she would take care of it."

"Take care of it? Are you hearing yourselves? Do you realize what you've just done?"

"Oh shut up Marcus, she's not dead."

Adrien's stomach plummeted.

"She might as well be. The client said ruff her up, scare her, not mutilate her." Someone hissed.

"Relaaaax, she'll survive, we just have to wait for the after party to finish and then we can leave her in front of a hospital."

"You guys are asses, think! She's bleeding really badly, you think she's going to even make it till midnight! You're idiots! All of you!"

"If you're too weak to stomach this then leave."

"Call me weak but at least I have humanity in me."A man said, storming out.

Adrien's hand covered his mouth as he fought to keep his breathing under control.

It could be anyone.

It could be anyone.

It could be anyone.

It wasn't Marinette.

It wasn't her.

It couldn't be her.

Anyone but her.

"Adrien, transform NOW. There isn't much time." Plagg says.

Adrien shakily complies.

"Plagg, transform me."

In a flash of green light, he's Chat Noir. He steps out from behind a pile and walks around the other piles till he sees three men, and a sack, a bumpy looking sack in a pool of blood.

Chat's nostrils flare and his eyes burn as he looks at the men.

"Chat Noir…"They all gasp in horror.

"What's in the bag?" He asks.

They look at each other.

"I asked you a question." He hisses.

"We-we-w-we at-tack-k-ked some-someone." One stutters out.

"A g-girl. We're so-sorry. We-we-we were ask-asked to frame you."

Chat's baton had automatically recorded the confession.

Chat closes his eyes, praying to God that his intuition is wrong.

"Is she in the bag?" He asks lowly.

They nod.

Urine runs down the leg of one of the men. He realises these men are models.

"Open the bag." He says.

"B-but-"

"I said open it!" Chat growls loudly.

They hastily grab the bag and remove the thick rope at the top.

They look at him and empty the sack.

Along with the body flows a fountain of scarlet blood.

Whatever remained of his sanity came crashing down and his world crumbled as he watched the body of his first real friend tumble out, bloodied and cut up, stabbed and sliced.

"You…You did this?"

He felt the need to vomit.

"You hurt her and put her in a sack…"

He choked, noting the gaping hole gushing blood at her abdomen and that the slash marks that covered almost all of her skin were bleeding profusely.

"What did you do to her…"He whispers, as the body rolls a bit on the floor before stilling.

They all look at each other.

"YOU BASTARDS,WHAT DID YOU DO?" He shouts, dropping down beside the body and trying to understand what was happening. He touches her face and notes the deep gash across her porcelain skin.

He chokes on what he doesn't realise is a sob, and unknowingly tears begin to stream down his face.

He doesn't know what to do, he doesn't know where else to check for wounds because the dress is soaked in absolutely every place, and he realises in horror that the wounds are probably everywhere.

Chloe did it. She got Marinette.

Blood oozes out of her mouth and her breathing sounds weak and almost non-existent. He looks at the men. If he gets his revenge now, Marinette would bleed out.

He clutches the body to his chest protectively and looks up at the men with eyes filled with deep hatred and anger.

"You think this is over, it's not. I'm going to find you after I save her," He says as tears continue to fall.

"-and I won't rest until I destroy each one of you." He says through gritted teeth, not caring if they realise that the girl in his arms was important to him, a supervillain.

He hears a small whimper and he looks down at the woman in his arms.

His time was running out.

"This is not over. I'll kill all of you bastards." He says again, picking her up and jumping out the window behind them.

He needed to get past the security, and fast.

He threw all caution to the wind at that point, deciding to extend his baton onto the road beyond the Fashion Exhibit and then make a run for it.

He did it, but as his feet touch the ground, a flurry of bullets begin to shoot at him.

He spins his baton the best he can with one hand and runs as quickly as his legs allow him.

He's finally out of range of the exhibit and he holds Marinette with both arms, now bridal style, picking up pace.

This was unreal.

"It's okay,Princess. You're okay."He says to the unconscious girl.

This was too cruel. Too brutal.

"You're going to be fine."He says, not trusting himself to look down at her ghostly white face.

It was savage.

It was wrong.

It was everything that Marinette was not.

Marinette was innocent. She was a good person. She never did anything to deserve this.

Chat ran in what he thought was the direction of the hospital when suddenly he detransforms.

"NO!" He yells.

"Adrien wait-"

"Plagg, Trans-"

"Adrien listen to me-"

"She's dying Plagg, oh my God, Plagg sh-she's-I can't-She's-"

"ADRIEN LISTEN TO ME!" Plagg suddenly yells at the distraught young man whose shirt is steadily becoming stained with the young woman's blood.

"I need you to follow me. We need to get to the guardian, now."Plagg says.

Adrien doesn't understand, but he follows the speeding kwami to a dark place, not too far from his mansion and the bakery.

Plagg flies through the door, yells something to someone and suddenly the door flies open revealing a horrified old man.

He hastily grabs Marinette and shuts the door in Adrien's face.

Adrien sobs, his anxiety beginning to act up. Plagg suddenly flies out the door towards the mansion. Adrien slides down the door, beginning to temble and shake and he begins to sweat.

Plagg is back after a few moments, holding the Marinette plushy and her pan.

"No no no no no no no no, it's okay, she's going to be fine. Everything will be okay. The guardian has this under control."

He places the plushies into Adrien's arms.

Adrien looks at the plushy, and clutches onto it as he rocks back and forth. Plagg settles into his chosen ones hair, not knowing what else to do.

Fu and Wayzz were specialized specifically in healing, and he knew that Marinette would come out without a scratch.

He just hoped Adrien would be able to hold himself together for three more hours.

Adrien gritted his teeth.

He knew who was behind this.  
Oh , he knew alright.

She was going to pay dearly for this.

Abusing him was one thing.

Hurting Marinette was another.

To hell with loyalty.

That thing was going down.

 **A/N:Hey guys! I'm back! Sorry for the long wait, Christmas got me super busy.**

 **NOTE THAT THIS IS A COMBINATION OF THREE CHAPTERS!**

 **MIND THE TYPOS, I EDITED IT THE BEST I COULD DESPITE THE BULLSHIT MY ACCOUNT IS UP TO!**

 **I hope you enjoyed it and thank you so so so much for the reviews!**

 **To my guest reviewers, chapter 11 (The chapter where I answer all your reviews) will be updated soon!**

 **IMPORTANT QUESTION:**

 _ **IS THE QUOTE FROM THE SUMMARY GOING TO BE IN THE STORY?**_

 **Hell yeah! It may be all rosy now, but that quote is from a fundamental scene in the story, so yes it is!**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!Thank you so so much for reading and reviewing! You guys rock! Ttyl!**

 **XOXO**

 **Ra Ra**


	13. Burn

Adrien fiddled with mini Marinette. Plagg had said to him before that three hours was all Fu needed…but he struggled to understand how the kwami could be so sure. It was almost reaching the three hour mark and he was becoming increasingly anxious.

He had seen the state Marinette was in. She had looked like a large mass of bloodied, sliced and chopped meat.

The only place that remained mostly unharmed was her face,but even that was tainted by a deep slice across the side of it.

Adrien ran a hand through his hair for what felt like the billionth felt time.

He felt like he was caught in a never ending anxiety attack,and he was so very frightened.

"Adrien…Time to get up."

Adrien nodded and stood up.

Fu opened the door and smiled at Adrien,Adrien smiled awkwardly.

He looked down and saw Marinette in Fu's arms,sleeping soundly,in her beautiful dress, unharmed, unscathed, perfectly untouched.

He gaped and looked back up Fu in absolute shock.

"She's… But she was…but…How did you..?"Adrien struggled to speak. His mind was now completely blank.

Marinette had not a single scratch on her.

"You should take her. I'm afraid I'm about to collapse."Fu said with a weak looking smile.

Adrien closed his mouth and wasted no time in taking his princess into his arms.

Fu fell to his knees.

"Sir-"Adrien started in alarm,and concern for the man who had done something incredibly miraculous and saved his friend.

"I'm okay son, just extremely tired. When she wakes up I need you to give her this."Fu says, lifting up a glowing, green pebble.

Adrien squints at it.

"She needs to swallow it." Fu explains and Adrien's eyes almost pop out. The pebble was small, but it looked suspicious. How could it not?It had yellow smoke coming out of it which only served to emphasize the green glowing of the stone.

"Just trust me, she just has to. Make sure she gets plenty of rest this week. She can move around as she normally does, but she needs a minimum of twelve hours of sleep a day."

"T-twelve hours?That's an awful lot…"Adrien says, embarrassed at how bewildered and shocked he is in front of this man.

"Every time she lies down to sleep, make sure she eats one of these, it will ensure she's asleep for a full 12 hours." He hands Adrien a box of pink biscuits.

"She needs to drink 16 glasses of water a day." Fu continues.

"S-sixteen? Isn't the recommended amount 8-13 glasses?" Adrien asks and Fu just chuckles.

"Also, if she starts experiencing migraines, give her one of these, and give her one whenever she has a migraine."

Fu hands him the stone and a bag of matte-black cubes of… something.

Adrien just nods.

"That's it." Fu says.

Adrien frowns.

"I really don't know how you did it, but thank you…"

"You're welcome Adrien. Nice pet you have there." He remarks. Adrien glances at his floating kwami.

"It's a,urm, new breed of cat,bird,urm,thing?" Adrien fumbles out.

Fu just smiles.

"Take care of your friend here. It was really hard to get her away from the clutches of death."

Adrien nods.

"But let's say I had a little help." he winks at Plagg who snickers and eyes the side of the man's trousers where a small bump can be seen in the pocket.

Adrien eyes it too.

"Good night son."Fu says, bowing his head and closing the door.

Adrien looks at Plagg.

"Who was that guy?"He asks.

Plagg shrugs. "He took care of me before I came to you."

Adriens eyes widen.

"He was the wielder of the Black Cat miraculous?"

Plagg bursts into laughter.

"Old man Fu?Nooooo!Or should I say Nooroo!"Plagg croons.

"Shut up Plagg!" Something yells from inside the house.

Adrien steps back with widened eyes.

"Some things are better left unsaid…Anyway kid, time to transform."

Adrien nods. "Plagg, transform me."

Plagg disappeared into the ring.

Chat carried the sleeping girl home. She was breathing evenly and to him, that was literally a breath of fresh air –Pun not intended.

Just remembering how shallow and strained her breathing was earlier, left him with a horrible feeling in his chest.

He still couldn't come to terms with the fact that she had been hurt like that. He hated the fact that she was attacked while he himself was in the building…

Had nobody heard the woman screaming?

Did those men knock her out before they attacked her?

Suddenly he felt a surge of anger.

How dare they do that to her!

Who did they think they were?

Wait…Actually, who were they?

He frowned as he darted across rooftops, landing gently every time so that he didn't wake Marinette up.

Finally, he landed on her balcony and lay her down on the sofa before moving to pick the trapdoor lock.

Once done, he turned, tenderly picked up the woman, and jumped down onto her bed.

He glanced around the room making sure that there was no weirdo in the room, once he was certain that it was safe, he placed the girl down on her bed.

It was 3 a.m. and he was exhausted. He had a really long, eventful, and emotionally draining day, but he couldn't sleep as yet.

Fu had clearly said that he needed to give Marinette the glowing pebble to swallow as soon as she awoke, so he needed to stay awake until she did.

He yawned and lay down next to her, careful not to invade her personal space.

He stared at her peaceful face.

He wondered vaguely if she would remember anything that had happened. Maybe she could tell him…It would be great if she did because it would be easier to track those three asswipes down.

If she didn't remember, that was okay, he still had a plan.

He was determined to get his revenge on those three, he just needed to get the list of the models in the fashion show, once he identified the faces, he could easily get their locations, and unleash the wrath of his burning fury on those savages.

Chat propped himself up on an elbow and traced the lines of his friends face with his eyes, not daring to look any lower.

She looked so innocent and angelic. It would take someone truly evil to look at a face like that and want to hurt it.

And that's exactly what Chloe was.

An evil, cruel,barbaric thing.

Chat huffed. It was Friday. The plan he had for today was a pawsitively sick one.

It was just as barbaric as Chloe's one,If not more.

It took two to tango.

But he wasn't going to just tango.

Marinette shifted a bit,and settled.

Chat smiled. The relief that he felt knowing that she was okay, and unharmed, well,it was a bit overwhelming.

He sat up, cross-legged and tilted his head,he looked just like a kitten with one ear drooping and his tail flickering about in the air.

Marinette snorted in her sleep and Chat covered his mouth to stop the laugh that escaped his lips.

He couldn't help it.

How could anyone be that adorable?

And worse still, in their sleep!

Chat smiled goofily.

Marinette opened and closed her mouth a few times and rolled over onto her stomach.

Chat watched in amusement, grinning broadly when he noticed the stream of drool coming from her mouth.

She turned her head to the other side, but not even ten seconds later, she turned it back.

Chat glanced at the clock, it was 3:27.

He yawned and glanced at the little bag of black cubes.

He picked it up with a raised brow, and plucked one of the cubes from the bag. It looked almost like a square block of black chalk.

It wasn't too big, it was about the size of a sweet.

He had the strange urge to lick it.

He stood up and turned his back to Marinette's bed.

He glanced at the clock again, he was getting a bit anxious, it was almost half an hour since they got back and he was a bit curious as to when Marinette would open her eyes.

Fu said she was fine, but he could only be one-hundred percent sure once she awoke.

Chat turned back to the bed and crouched next to it as he noticed Marinette flip her head to the side again.

"Hiii."He said to the sleeping woman.

He was met with silence.

"I know you're exhausted princess, but could you please wake up so that I know you're not actually in a coma or something?"

She didn't say anything.

He frowned.

He was getting a bit anxious. Chat pulled a piece of hair out of her mouth and tucked it behind her ear, choosing to keep his gloved palm on her face.

Her nose twitched. He rested his head on the bed and wiped the drool off her face.

Suddenly her eyes flew open.

It was 3:30, time to pee.

Marinette blinked sleepily.

Suddenly she jumped up with a gasp, her eyes darted around.

She looked over her body, touching her tummy, then her face and arms as if searching for something.

"I'm alive!" She shrieked out, jumping up, almost tumbling down the ladder and running to the mirror.

Chat followed, sighing in relief. She was completely fine. He couldn't stop himself from hauling her into a hug.

Marinette blinked, wondering how she was not wounded at all…

Had she been dreaming that she was attacked?

Chat was here… Had he saved her?

He was hugging her very tightly… Seemingly tense…

"Chat?" She asked, rubbing his back.

He just stood there in silence, finally he took a deep breath and held her at arm's length.

Suddenly he exploded.

"What the hell happened!?"He shouted.

"Huh?"Marinette asked in confusion at the angry looking villain.

"Where was your pepperspray?Where were your friends?Why didn't you scream?!"

"Urm…"

"They had you in a bloody sack woman!Literally a bloodied sack!"

"But-"

"Why were you alone, what happened? How did they get you?Did they drug you?"

"Err-"

"Did they rape you?!"

"NO-"

"Well they could have! And then what would have happened?! "

"It's not my fault-"

"I know that!But still!What is wrong with you?! Why did you go to that show!You knew it was during crime time!Regardless of whether or not you were in a building, crime time is crime time!"Chat snarled shaking her.

Marinette scratched her neck sheepishly.

"Well you see…"

"What..?"Chat asked wearily.

"You left a note…"Marinette started, breaking out of his hold and fetching the note he had written the morning before.

"You said you'd be modeling in a fashion show… The only Fashion show in Paris was the Ravensburg one…" She says, going to the center of her room and pulling down a large chart that revealed the faces of 50 models with a little box next to each face.

She crossed off three faces quickly and puts a big asterisk at a brunette.

"Definitely not those three, so you are one of these 47…"She trails off with an embarrassed look.

Chat gapes at her.

"You've got to be kidding me." He says, his eye twitches rapidly.

"What?" Marinette says with a fiery, embarrassed blush on her face.

"You went there so you could figure out who I am?" He asks.

Marinette huffs and crosses her arms.

"Don't look at me like that, you would have done the same." She says looking at him defiantly.

"Oh yeah, of course, I'll go to a show where I know there's a possibility I may die at. Can't you tell? I'm one of those kinky types, I love when guys get rough with me." Chat says dryly.

"Seriously?" Marinette asks.

Chat smacks his forehead.

"You can't be doing things like this!" He hisses.

"Well even if you weren't there I would've gone anyway!"Marinette shoots back.

Chat raises a brow.

"Gabriel Agreste asked me to be there...He's offering me a scholarship, and he may offer me an internship so I HAD to be there."

Chat frowns.

"Gabriel Agreste asked you to be there?"

"Yeah…"

"Why would he do that?"

"I sewed something and he liked it I guess, he took it to Miami with him, and then just this morning he phoned in to tell me that he wants to pay for my studies and that he may give me an internship, then he gave me some backstage passes to the show and said that it would be good for me to go, and that I should try to be there-"

"HA!TRY to be there,not you HAVE to be there! So it wasn't compulsory!" Chat says, pointing at her.

"But everyone knows Gabriel Agreste just expects a person not to let him down!"Marinette says waving her hands to make a point.

Chat opened his mouth to retort but stopped.

She had a very valid point.

He huffed and ran a hand through his hair.

He suddenly gasped.

Trauma.

Most victims felt trauma after being attacked. He had been snapping at her without thinking about her emotional state.

He was suddenly hugging her again.

"Someone's in a cuddly,huggy mood."She says with a light laugh but still hugging him tightly.

"Are you okay?"He asks softly.

"I'm fine, chaton."She says, lightly petting his head.

"I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner."

"Don't be, I knew you'd come."

"…How?"

"You always find me, don't you?" She says.

"Do I?" That's the second time someone has said that to him.

"Yeah, you're like this super elite stalker." She says, still petting his head.

Chat smiled into her hair. Well he was very good at stalking her…

"Marinette…"

"Yeah?"

"…Please don't go out after five again, please don't." Chat says quietly.

Marinette frowns slightly and tightens her hold.

It seemed that she had already found her way into the villain's heart.

A hurting villain.

A child.

If he was asking her not to, in such an earnest manner, a manner that completely flung him out of his comfort zone and his range of habits, then maybe she could change her irrational habits too.

She really wasn't going to go to the fashion show, but her friends insisted on going, they really wanted to be there, and she had a plan of her own too.

Nino,Alya, Kim, Rose, Juleka, Alix, and Max were all there, but she had detached herself from the group to look for models who looked like Chat. After the show was over, her friends were taken up to a VIP lounge, and they all began to get drunk,it was their first time and they had no tolerance.

She told them that she was going to go talk to some of the designers, and that they shouldn't look for her.

Then she saw three blonde men, all Chat's height.

She remembered talking to them.

Then she remembered a brunette coming in, looking at her and then the men before storming off, angrily.

After that, she had gone into one of the rooms for some peace and quiet, but then she heard some weird scuffling noises…

Then the next thing she knew, something thin and sharp jabbed her in the neck, it was a needle. She couldn't move after that. She couldn't make a sound.

She could vaguely remember being taken into a cluttered room, and then being attacked.

But one thing she could clearly remember was the manner that they attacked her, purely amateur.

Not Chat at all.

She was impassive at that point, she never screamed, she just let them stab and slash and hack at her body, and suddenly she was being shoved into a small space.

She was certain Chat was in the building.

He was going to come.

That was what she thought before she fell unconscious.

Marinette blinked, shaking off the hazy memory.

"I'll try my best,Chat."

Chat sighed.

"If you want to talk about what happened last night…"he trails off, not knowing what else to say out of fear of triggering something.

"I barely remember anything." She admits.

Chat nods into her hair.

"That's good."

"It is?" She asks in confusion.

"It is, trust me, it is." He says.

Marinette nods into his chest.

"Sooooo… Are you really blonde?"She suddenly asks.

Chat laughs.

"Perhaps."

"Aaaand what colour are your eyes?"

"Classified princess."

"Aww come onnnn!"Marinette whines.

"Nope."

"Pleaseee!"

"Nuh uh."

"Just this once!"

"Nope."Chat says, still smiling.

Marinette huffs,Chat holds her at arm's length.

"I almost forgot, you have to swallow that stone thing and rest for 12 hours!" Chat exclaims, cursing himself for almost forgetting, before grabbing her and jumping up to the loft.

He sets her down and gets the glowing stone.

Marinette eyes it.

"I have to swallow that?"Marinette asks in horror.

Chat nods.

"Is that safe?"

"urmm…I think so… I mean the guy who got rid of all your wounds and stuff told me to give that to you, so I think it is."Chat said thoughtfully.

There was no way that man could've saved Marinette without magic.

"So I just swallow…Can I take it with water or something?" Marinette says, holding the stone to eye level.

"I don't really know princess."Chat says.

Marinette looks at him.

"Alright…Here goes. "Marinette says before popping the tiny jelly-bean sized stone into her mouth and swallowing.

"Mmm, pistachio!" She says after swallowing.

"Well, now it's time to rest for twelve hours."Chat says, eyeing the clock as the minute needle reaches 3:40.

"I still have to pee and shower." She says bluntly.

Chat's face goes red.

"Oh, urm, okay, but you have to be in bed by 3:55…"He says.

"I'll be quick." She says,waving her hand.

She begins walking to the bathroom.

"Okay…"Chat says, scratching his neck.

Marinette closed the door and sat down on the toilet.

She might as well change in here too.

"Chaaaaaat?"She called.

"Princess?" He called from outside the door.

"Could you pass me a pair of pyjamas?"

"Do I look like a slave to you?" He snarls.

"But I'm busy." Marinette says.

"…Fine…But just this once." He grumbles.

Chat walks to her dresser.

He was going soft.

If someone saw him picking sleepwear for a girl he would be mortified.

He opened the first drawer only to find dozens of bras, and lacy underwear.

He squeaked and slammed the draw shut.

"Everything okay there Chat?"

"Fine! Everythings fine!" He said, his voice sounded oddly squeaky.

"Get a hold of yourself Adrien, it's just panties." He says to himself.

He opens the second drawer.

He screams and slams it shut.

"Chat?"

He had just opened her tampon drawer.

There were around fifty or so boxes of them, and little purple packets of…intimate wipes? What the hell was that?...Ohhhh…

For some unexplainable reason there was a little compartment of G-strings in there.

"It's fine princess." He called.

He took a deep breath.

"Stop being a moron. You of all people should know girls use those kinds of stuff." He snaps at himself, thinking about Chloe with a shudder. He brushes the thought away.

He opens the next drawer, just cosmetics.

He looks at her wardrobe, eager to leave the dresser.

He finds a cute, long blue nightdress.

He takes a deep breath, goes to her underwear drawer again and grabs the first thing he sees.

"Urm is this okay?"He calls through the door.

She sticks her hand out.

He places it in her hand.

"It's fine, thanks!"She says.

Chat goes to sit on the chaise, his face still red. He waits patiently for Marinette, his mind immaculately planning every minute detail of his evil plan for today, filling in every loophole.

Cages. He needed cages.

Lemon juice. Or vinegar. No, chili would be great…yes.

He needed to test his Cataclysm on something…big.

There were a couple of other things that he needed to get…

"Done." Marinette said, coming out of the bathroom.

Chat sniffed the air.

She smelled nice.

"Okay so, you need to sleep from 4 a.m to ., once you wake up I need you to drink 16 glasses of water. Not all at once of course, but tomorrow night you need to be asleep from midnight till 12 the next morning. Of course, I can't leave you to remember all of these things so I will be monitoring your sleeping times, patterns, and times that you have to pee, you should be needing to use the lavatory more due to the daily intake of 16 glasses of water." Chat starts, standing up and carrying the stunned woman to her bed.

"I can walk you know…"She says, but Chat doesn't seem to hear her.

"Getting the twelve hours of sleep is crucial. Therefore, you will be eating one of these every time you get ready to sleep." Chat continues, drawing back the covers and placing her underneath. He reaches for the neat, white box and pulls out a biscuit, handing it to her.

She takes it, looking at it.

"It has little ladybugs on it!" She squeals.

Chat raises a brow and opens the container to look at a biscuit; it indeed has intricately drawn Ladybugs on them, made of glaze seemingly.

"That's…Nice?" He says.

Marinette shoves the whole biscuit into her mouth.

Chat just chuckles.

Marinette dusts her mouth.

"Alright princess, if at any time you feel the pain of a migraine, just eat one of these." He says, passing her the bag of little black cubes.

She looks at it oddly.

"I'll most probably be back before then."

Marinette yawns.

"Okay kitty." She says.

"Goodnight, princess." Chat says.

"Nighty night." She says, yawning again.

Whatever was in Fu's biscuit seemed to be making her drowsy.

Chat waited till she was asleep. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

Today would be a long, and very eventful day.

He jumped down from the loft and took a look at her chart.

The brunette she put an asterisk at was the man who was opposing the three in the room last night.

The three she had crossed off were:

Dickson Rugged, Curt Lehand, and Vea La Pré.

He cricked his neck and took a picture of each of them.

He wasn't joking when he said he would get them.

Chat jumped back up to the loft, and leaned down to kiss Marinette's forehead before he left.

"Don't worry princess, they won't get away with what they've done, I promise you." He says firmly.

Then, he opens and locks her trapdoor, looks over the city, and disappears into the night.

He darts through the streets and makes his way to the airport.

Quietly, he slinks through the shadows until he finds the director's office.

He hears a man talking on the phone. With a devious grin, Chat enters the room and locks the door.

"Be careful out there. Yeah. Yeah I've heard. Hmm. Yeah…Ye-OOH MY GOSH!'"The man suddenly says when he turns his swivel chair around and comes face to face with a cynically smiling Chat who is crouching on the office table.

His phone falls.

"You're up early." Chat croons.

The man is about to scream but Chat clips his lips together with two claws.

"Hush. I'm not here to cause too much trouble." Chat says. He extends his baton downward and crushes the man phone so that the person on the other end hears nothing.

Then he turns the man's head to the screen on the baton. "These three are not allowed to leave Paris."

The man looks at him with wide eyes.

"And if they do, you're a dead man." Chat hisses.

"If you alert authorities, you can consider your family dead too, Mr…"Chat trails off, squinting at the man's badge.

"…Dr. Camaraderie… Do you understand me?" He asks lowly.

The man nods vigorously.

"Take down their names. Dickson Rugged, Curt Lehand, and Vea La Pré."

The man jots it down on his desk calendar.

He looks back up at Chat with petrified eyes.

"I want them on the no-fly list."

The man nods again, too frightened to speak.

"Make up as many excuses as you need to, but I was never here, and I haven't told you to do anything. Are we clear?"

"Y-yes Mist-mister Noir."

Chat hums, moving back and stepping off the table.

"I'll be taking my leave. Remember what I said Doc." he says.

He leaves the shaking man behind and returns to his mansion.

After entering his room, he Detransforms.

Plagg falls through the air

"Urgh, kid, I'm bushed."He groans into Adrien's palms.

"I know Plagg, I just need to push you for one more day and then I promise you can have a long 12 hour rest after that." Adrien promises.

Plagg sighs.

"Remember kid, no killing. Don't try me." He warns.

"I know Plagg. I have it covered. But first…"Adrien trails off.

He walks to his table, picking up his phone and setting an alarm for 10 a.m. before going to his bed. Once he is absolutely certain that the sheets have been changed after that _thing_ had been there, he lay down.

"I'm just gonna take a catnap." He says, nuzzling his Marinette doll and pan that had been tucked in his belt when he was Chat.

Heaven only knows what the doctor must have thought.

Plagg begins to chew his way through dozens of camembert wheels.

He was probably really going to need it.

….

Adrien's alarm sounded.

"Nnnnnnnnnnnnaaaaaaaaaawwwwww…"He groaned as he began to rub the sleep out of his eyes.

Suddenly his eyes widened, and an evil smirk slipped onto his face.

Those shits would be paying today.

He jumped up and got into the shower. The bathroom TV automatically came on.

"-was actually carrying the person. Police say however, that whoever this girl was must certainly be dead. Here's what one of the officers on the scene have said: _'Yeah, she looked pretty much dead. Scariest thing was that it couldn't have been Chat Noir who killed her. I'm not the only one who saw it. Chat Noir was practically bawling his eyes out trying to get the girl to the hospital, that's why most of us stopped shooting, we noticed he was holding the victim , the woman had multiple stab wounds, Chat Noir scratches women, he doesn't stab or brutally attack them too much, it's one of his personal rules I guess, it's the men that he gets, from what we saw,it looked like he was being framed. As much as I hate to say it, seems like Chat Noir wasn't the real baddie this time.'"_

Adrien took off his blood-stained shirt and folded it, quietly listening to the man. He felt a horrible pang in his chest at the thought of a lifeless Marinette.

"And this is what another officer had to say, ' _Whoever she was, well, she must have been close to Chat Noir for him to actually try and run through a barricade of if that's true, and if someone actually killed that woman, I have a strong feeling that he's going to be a hundred-no-a thousand times worse than he already is… Think about it, there's nothing villains do better than revenge.'"_

"Damn straight." Adrien says lowly as he steps into the shower.

"What's more surprising is that no blood at all was found on the scene yet the clothing of the victim seen in photos are too stained in blood to be recognizable, and her face was completely hidden by Chat Noir."

Adrien tunes out and wonders where he should stop first…Maybe the cages…Yes, he needed some indestructible cages.

…

It's a dull, rainy morning.

In fact, the rain doesn't seem to be stopping.

Perfect. He looks out the window.

He grabs three wheels of Camembert. "Plagg,Transform me."He says. "Why do I always get invooolllved!"He shrieks as he gets sucked into the ring.

Chat jumps out the window. He slinks through the alleys, not wanting to alert anyone that he was out before Crime Time. He needs to get to the Metal Warehouse. Stealthily, he makes his way there in no time at all, and smirks. He slips in and locks the door. The metal warehouse was closed for the day, it was devoid of customers.

And so nobody notices him, except a baby sitting on the counter at the front desk, playing with a deathly-expensive looking doll. It made sense, seeing as the warehouse was quite famous and successful in Paris.

"Why, hello there kitten." He says, picking the baby up.

Suddenly, the owner who had left the front desk for just a minute returns to see Chat holding his daughter.

"Not the best idea to leave a pretty little one like this all alone, don't you think?"Chat says, twirling one of the baby's pigtails.

The child seems unfazed and he father stands frozen in utmost horror.

"I mean, Paris is full of disgusting, sick, twisted people."Chat says, tilting his head.

The man reaches for the Panic button. "Ah ah ah. I wouldn't do that if I were you."Chat says, putting a claw against the baby's neck.

The baby still doesn't understand. Chat actually placed the blunt side of his claw against her neck so that she wouldn't get hurt, but the girl's father bought the illusion.

"Now, you can have your daughter back, I puurrromise. After you deliver something for me."

"Anything!"The man says. Two men who were placing something on shelves stared on in terror. None of them risked calling the police on Chat.

They all knew who would be stronger. He would always be stronger.

"I just want three,large,inescapable titanium cages delivered to the suite of Chloe Bourgeois,not too hard for you,yes?"

"Yes sir."The man says. "Will they just let me take it up to her room?"He asks.

"Leave it outside her door...They're used to seeing deliveries for her."

The man nods vigorously. "I want to see the cages."Chat says, bouncing the baby a bit. The man shrieks.

"Yes, yes, please don't hurt her."He says turning to go to the cage isle, eyeing Chat's deadly sharp claws with panicked eyes. Chat doesn't respond but follows. The baby gurgles and pokes a finger inside his nose. Chat takes a quick glance around, when he's sure his face isn't seen, he makes a funny face with crossed eyes, and wiggles his nose, causing the baby to laugh in delight and clap her hands. The man dares to glance back , and Chat's face is impassive once more.

"Here it is sir." The man says, gesturing to the indestructible looking cages. "So these wont break, even if lets say, a hundred or so bricks fall on it?"Chat asks.

"No, it's impossible. Also no bricks or bits could even get it, the spaces are much too narrow…"The father says.

"Excellent." Chat says.

He begins to leave the warehouse.

"Have it there by 4:15."

He places the baby on the counter. "Otherwise, I may have to be a bit violent." Chat says with a cynical smile, tapping the baby's nose.

"and Nobody will know about this." He says.

He reaches into his pocket and pulled out a thick stack of cash.

"I don't like free stuff." He says,handing the baby the money.

He unlocks the door and steps out.

…

* * *

Capsaicin chili pepper extract. Check.

Sacks. Check.

Assortment of butchery knives. Check.

Cable ties. Check.

Rain so that Crime time starts earlier. Check.

Location of the three asses. Check.

Chat then takes all his items up to Chloe's suite, easily unlocking the empty, lavish place. Of course, Chloe has no security cameras in her room.

He places the items on the bed and unlocks the door leading from the room to the hallway. With a glance around, he pulls the three large cages through Chloe's huge, ornate door, locks it, and drags the cages to the center of the room. Now it was time to get those savages. He pulled out his baton, looking at the screen, his GPS was ready to go.

Chat jumped down onto the wet streets. He had to walk to them if he was going to use the GPS. A loud clap of thunder broke through the air.

It didn't faze him.

Nothing could faze him now.

They were getting what they deserved.

They had hurt her so bad.

They had tortured her.

It didn't matter that she didn't remember. He was certain the only reason she didn't was because that old man did something to tamper with her memories. He remembered.

He remembered all those horrible, swelling, bleeding slices all over her. The multiple stab wounds. So much of blood… She could have died.

She could have become just a memory. Someone so innocent and untainted could have become absolutely nothing, and it was all because of those monsters. Even he had never attacked someone to that point. And that was saying a whole lot.

Marinette was as good as dead on that night.

He wasn't an idiot, when he picked her up he felt the multiple broken ribs. They hadn't just stabbed and sliced.

They had hit her too.

Ohhhhh, he was going to get them. He was at the front door of a large, posh looking house that's a bit far away from the other houses. It looked to be on lockdown. He tsked. They must have known he was coming. How stupid of them to not hide-out somewhere else.

"Cataclysm." He says, the thick metal doors rust and fall down. He steps inside. He quietly makes his way through the house. He comes to a locked door and clucked his tongue.

"Pathetic." He says, kicking the door down with ease, revealing the three men, pointing guns at him. They begin to shoot. Chat grins and spins his baton, diverting every single bullet till they've used up all their Ammo. It's crime time.

The police aren't coming.

The man who wet himself earlier wets himself again. Chat raises a brow.

"How attractive." He remarks, stepping into the room. One of the men begins to hyperventilate. The third is clutching his hair and shivering.

"Now now, don't act as if you didn't know I was coming." Chat says, rolling his eyes.

"Chat Noir…Please d-don't-"The hyperventilating man who Chat recognizes as 'Curt' says.

"Don't? Don't what? Don't hurt you? I'm afraid that's not an option." Chat says, closing the door.

"It was his idea!" Curt points to the man that Chat recognizes as 'Vea'.

"My idea?!It was my idea to burn her! It was Dickson's idea to actually take up that Chloe Bourgeois offer!" Chat's baton recorded the statement.

"It wasn't me! And I just kicked her! Curt was the one who got touchy-feely with her!" Dickson shrieks.

Chat freezes.

No. No. They didn't…

"What did you do?" Chat asks in horror.

His blood ran cold. He was a worthless creature.

It didn't matter if Chloe raped him.

But for someone to do that to…her… Chat's breathing grew heavy. Curt gasps.

"NO NO NO NO! It wasn't like that! I didn't do anything sexual with her!" He exclaims.

" Yes,'cause taking pictures isn't sexu-"Dickson starts but suddenly Chat has Curt in the air.

He throws him with inhuman force at the wall and the man slumps unconscious. He grabs Dickson and Vea and shove them into a corner.

"Tell me now...Did...You...Rape...Her?"

"NO!" They exclaimed through whimpers and cries.

"He just took pictures. We swear!"Vea says.

"What did he touch then?" Chat asks baring his white teeth at them. "It was just her boobs."

"Just her-Just her b-HOW DARE YOU THINK IT'S _JUST_ HER …PARTS…YOU BASTARDS!"Chat says, slamming Dickson's head into the wall. He falls unconscious.

He looks at Vea. "Phones. I want all of your phones."Vea nods and scrambles to collect the phones before he hands it to Chat.

Chat crushes each one easily in his vengeful fist.

He looks up at Vea. He doesn't even have to hit him.

The man just faints. Chat looks around at the three. He would need to carry them individually to Chloe's suite. It wouldn't take long, and so that was exactly what he did. Once he had them all in the room, he cable-tied their hands and feet before throwing them into individual cages.

He was so smolderingly angry.

Never before had he felt such fury. He stepped onto Chloe's balcony and took a deep breath. He needed to Detransform since he had used Cataclysm. With another calming breath, he walked to her bathroom and Detransformed. Plagg looked at Adrien with wide eyes. He was worried. Angry Adrien was not a good Adrien.

He had heard what those men said…and he knew how protective and possessive Adrien had recently become over Marinette…This was very,very bad.

"Kid…"

"He…fondled…"Adrien says as his eyes focus on something Plagg cannot see.

"But she's okay…"

"She's not!" Adrien snaps, he looks at Plagg with a hopeless, devastated look. "She doesn't even know! She's just at home, sound asleep, innocently thinking it's all good, and here these asswipes are, confessing to things that she probably thinks never actually happened."

"I understand that…But she's alive…She will be fine." Plagg says, struggling to say something reassuring. Adrien runs a hand through his hair.

He hands Plagg some cheese. Plagg takes it and begins to eat it. He didn't like where this was going… But he knew that Adrien needed retribution for their sins. He would want it too if he were him.

"Burned her… Those Shits… Oh, they're going to feel the burn." He says, he glances over at Plagg to see if he was done, and he was.

"Plagg, Transform me." He says. The room flashes green and he exits the bathroom, going to the balcony.

It was 16:30. Marinette must be awake… He begins to make his way to the bakery. Once he gets there he glances through the window to find the sleepy woman talking on the house phone.

Most probably with that red-haired woman. He tilts his head, watching her yawn. She was feeding Berry now. He smiled a little. That was his princess, so selfless and caring. She was exhausted but she found time to care for those around her, easing her friend's worries and dishing out her love so purely. He pushed away from her window and went to the News Station.

With a strong push, the doors flew open and he walked to the broadcasting area. He walked in front of the camera, interrupting the live feed.

"Well good evening Paris!" He said, shoving the tanned, bald man out of his way. "It's Chat Noir here! Aren't you proud? This is the first live broadcast that I've ever done!" He cackles.

"Well, for the next month, it certainly won't be my last." He says. Everyone in the studio is dead still. "You see, last night, as you know, someone very dear to me was… attacked. The funniest thing has actually come to my knowledge…I," he says beginning to laugh humourlessly. "-was actually going to be framed for attacking this person. How funny is that?!"

He bursts out laughing. "I was going to be accused of killing the one thing in my life that keeps me slightly human!" He says, spreading his arms out, laughing hard.

"So I found the jackasses who hurt my friend." He says with a smirk.

"But that's not all. I found out who asked them to hurt her in the first place. Now Parisians, wouldn't you like to know the name of the person who has just made your lives a hundred times worse? "He asks, tilting his head.

"Well I'll gladly tell you, but first, I have a little destroying to do." Everyone looks at each other, panicked.

"Inside Le Grand Paris hotel, I have hidden a bomb at each level. It's going to go off in ten minutes. Good luck to everyone inside the hotel!" He says, grinning broadly before kicking the camera. Everyone in the studio looks at him stunned. The security guards refuse to move from their corners.

"I need a camera. To broadcast live from wherever I am." Chat says out loud. A man runs up and hands him exactly what he asked for. Chat grins. "Purrfect."He says before darting out of the studios and back to the hotel.

It is exactly as he expected. Hundreds of people run out of the hotel, tumbling over each other, kicking, shoving. It's absolute mayhem. He smiles cynically as he saunters over a rooftop. He jumps up to Chloe's balcony.

He leaves the room and takes the elevator to the Lobby. The Hotel is deathly quiet. Not a single soul remains. All rooms have been evacuated… Except for the room on the highest floor, the room that the staff believed to be empty since its inhabitant was in Miami. Chat looked through the front doors of the bullet proof glass of the hotel. Mayor Bourgeois stood on the other side in his nightgown. Chat walked behind the reception counter and hit the lockdown button. The guards immediately came down. Chat went back up to Chloe's room and walked over to the camera, looking into it.

It was rolling. "Okay, the cats out of the bag, there wasn't any bombs in the hotel." He said, snickering. "But, rest assured, this place will be going down." He turned the camera to the cages where the now conscious men lay in shock.

"These men were the ones who hurt my princess." he says. He places the camera on the dresser. "Today, we will be conducting an experiment. How much pain can a man take?" He taps his chin.

"Now, unlike these pieces of crap, I don't use knives, but today…"He pulls out a long, thin blade. The men begin to scream. "I will."

He turns to Dickson, pulling him out of his cage. The man wriggles and screams. "Don't worry, I won't stab him…"Chat starts but suddenly stabs the man in the leg. "In any vital organs that is." He continues, Dickson begins to scream, agonized. "Shut up." Chat hisses. He begins to slash away at the man. Making deep incisions, but leaving the areas with organs untouched. The man's throat no longer has any ability to pass out sound and he lays in a dark puddle of blood. Chat picks up a sack. A sack that he had doused in Capsaicin chili pepper extract. He picks up the man and begins to shove him into the sack. The instant Chat ties a rope around the top, the man begins to scream. The chili essence burn at his wounds, eliciting agonized, raw, screams. Chat drops the sack into the cage. He grins at Vea and repeats the process.

When he gets to Curt, he grins. "Hello,pervert."He hisses. He drags Curt out of the cage by the hair and repeats the process, enjoying hearing how the man's skin ripped with a squenching noise, and how he begged and pleaded for mercy. He slashes his face. He hadn't marred Vea's or Dickson's faces, but this one he felt the need to mar. Chat threw him in the sack before throwing the sack harshly into the cage. He stood up from the pool of blood.

He could vaguely see his face on big screens throughout the city as the camera broadcasted live. "Now you see, Parisians, I've actually been quite gentle with you all this time. But I've been pushed to a point that I'm afraid I can't return from."

"And now you know…"He starts, walking to the rooftop of the hotel. "Cataclysm!" He slams his hand onto the side of the building. Suddenly, the hotel begins to tremble, and shake, and with a mighty sound, it begins to crumble to the ground. The displaced inhabitants stare in shock as the building begins to crumble before their very eyes. The drawn out screams from the men inside the cages become inaudible and Chat leaps down before the crowd of people, in front of a trembling Andre Bourgeois. "And now you know…"He says again.

He stares dead into the eyes of the innocent Mayor. The mayor whose daughter had caused harm to come to his princess.

Now she and all of Paris - who supported this man with his filthy daughter- would pay.

"…not to touch what's mine." He whispers. He throws down the camera.

Fire-fighters begin to try and get to the three cages, and Chat takes off in a flash of black and green.

"I did it,princess. I got them.I didn't let them get away."

 **A/N:*Cricks neck* , Yes my lovelies, the longer the wait, the longer the chapter ;D OH MY GOSH!**

 **Guys, my account is like killing me.**

 **You don't realise how hard it was to get this out, Doc Manager removed the spaces between all the sentences, I had to edit them in.*Groans***

 **The reviews on the last chapter! GUYS!Thank you so so much!**

 **I'll be posting the updated Guest Review chapter later today so guests, expect a response for the last chapter's reviews! You guys have literally made me a smiling mop!**

 **Anyway, I have to go…My results will be getting released today…Pray for meeee to get at least five distinctions! Cross your fingers!**

 **PLEASE! PLEASE REVIEW!I wanna know your thoughts :D Ttyl!**

 **XOXO Ra Ra**


	14. Escapee

**A/N:Be warned, mentions of rape .**

A small chirping noise stirs me. With a groan, I open one eye and then the other. I can hear the rain outside, it's soothing…

But slightly annoying when I consider the awful pang in my head. I sniff and roll over. I still feel extremely tired for some reason, but a glance at the clock reveals to me that I really shouldn't be.

I squeak. How the heck did I sleep for that long?!

I jump up, I haven't fed Berry! Poor thing, he must be starving. With a stretch I climb down the ladder and go to the little box underneath the table. When I take it out, the cozy little bird looks up at me. He doesn't seem mad at all, instead, he chirps at me.

I smile. I expected him to be upset that I haven't fed him as yet. The miniature electric heater inside the box is separated from berry by a small grate. He's really warm in there but not too warm that he feels hot.

I pick him up with a yawn. My head still really hurts, my memory flashes and I remember Chat say something about eating a… cube?

I look back up to my loft and climb up to find a little bag of black-cubes made of…Something?

I take one out.

"What do you think Berry? Do you think that alley cat is tricking me?" I ask the baby bird.

He remains silent.

"Yeah me neither." I find myself saying before popping the cube in my mouth. It begins to dissolve and I try to identify the flavor…

Hmmm…I've never tasted anything like it!

I go to the bathroom, brush my teeth and wash my face.

I should put a shorts on, Chat didn't give me one last night.

For some odd reason ,I smell really fresh…

The house phone rings from downstairs. Oh damn, Alya still has my phone, I haven't spoken to her since yesterday, she must be worried.

I run through the trapdoor, down the stairs into the lounge.

"Hello? Alya?"

" 'HELLO ALYA'? THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY? HELLO ALYA!?"

"Urm…How are you?" I wince as I walk to the kitchen to make Berry's food.

"FURIOUS! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"

"I'm sorry I didn't call you! I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorrrryyyy!"I say.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was Marinette? I came by your house and you didn't answer. The assistants all went home too because you didn't open up. I waited for hours. Nobody has seen you since last night girl! We've been worried sick! We thought…We thought you were the one who was attacked last night…"

I blink twice.

"Could you send them an email saying that I'm going to be busy tomorrow so they have the day off?And errrm...You say that...Someone was attacked…Urm…How do you know someone was attacked?"

"Girl, have you been sleeping all morning? It's all over the news! It's everywhere!"

I begin to carry Berry's food upstairs to my room.

"What's everywhere?" I say, filling Berry's syringe with the nestling-food.

"Put your computer on. I'll send you a link."

I feel like someone's watching me, but when I turn, I see just the indestructible, expensive burglar-guards. Beyond it I see the rain flow from the dark clouds in the sky.

I wipe Berry's beak as some of the food from the syringe messes his berry-colored beak.

Once the computer comes on, I open Alya's email.I tap the link.

A video opens up, its amateur footage, but the quality is brilliant.

" _Okay guys, so I'm in my room, and something seems to be happening outside at the Fashion Exhibition_." A guy says and zooms in to the police force.

Suddenly Chat jumps over them, his face is clearly visible, and it's contorted in utter agony as he clutches someone to his trembling body.

" _Oh my gosh guys, it's Chat Noir_!"

My eyes widen when I sees the distressed, petrified, tortured look on his face.

" _He's…He's holding someone…"_

With a start I recognize that that's me.

The lighting all around the exhibit makes it very easy to see how blood-stained and unrecognizable my dress is. It's almost as dark as Chat's suit.

It's almost bittersweet watching how tiny flowers fall out of my hair while Chat shows an emotion that I've never even seen before.

If I thought he looked pained when he was having his nightmare…Well then now he looked like a man who had just lost his world. It shocked and perturbed me to no ends.

I feel a clench in my chest…Poor Chaton…

He deflected the bullets like an expert, which was surprising seeing as he was doing it with one hand only…

He ducks his head and runs faster, and many of the snipers and policemen stop firing at him, they stare at what he holds instead and at his face.

" _Oh my frigging shit. I can't be the only one who saw that…Guys, come on, did you see that? He was…He was crying…Shit, some idiot messed with Chat Noir… Was that woman his girlfriend? Oh shit. Guys…We're all screwed now."_ The guy says in horror before the video cuts.

I can do nothing but gape.

I feel like an utter moron now. He looked so scared, how could I have done that to him?

He was right, I really shouldn't have gone out…

But it wasn't my fault! I mean how was I supposed to know that the criminals would be _inside_ the building? I was just trying to find him… I didn't know that he cared about me that much…

Wait…

He really, genuinely cares about me…

I smack my forehead. Urgh, I'm such a moron, I've been trying to get him to care, but I didn't want to scare him or cause him anymore pain.

"Girl? Done?" Alya says through the phone.

I shake my head, she's still on the line.

"Yeah…Wow…"

"I know…Marinette I really thought that was you…When I saw those flowers falling out I lost it… I called off the search party now."

"Search Party!?"

"Girl, I was scared! How many people do I know-besides you- who actually wear flowers in their hair?"

"I don't know…But that's not me. I'm like perfectly fine. That girl looks …dead." I feel horrible lying to Alya...

"She does…Her body was so still…"

"Yeah…"

"Girl I'm so glad you're okay…I was going to file a case at the station but Nino told me you were probably out being Marinette."

I laugh nervously.

"Ha ha ha…Yeah, out, me that's!"

"You mean 'that's me'?"

"Exactly." I say with a groan. I need to get better at lying.

"You think that's his girlfriend?" Alya asks and I feel my face heat up.

"Urm… I don't know…?"

"Who knows, maybe it's his sis-OH MY FRICKEN HELL MARINETTE TURN ON KIDS+ RIGHT NOW!" Alya suddenly shouts into the phone. I hold it away from my ear.

I turn on the TV and do as she says.

"- _oud of me? This is the first live broadcast I've ever done!"_

My eyes widen. Chat is on TV. His laugh makes me feel uneasy.

" _Well for the next month it won't be my last!"_ I hang up on Alya and stare in shock at the screen.

"What are you doing Chat?" I find myself questioning.

" _You see, last night, as you know, someone very dear to me was…"_

He looks up into the camera, and I feel as if he is looking directly at me, staring into my eyes, my soul.

"… _attacked. The funniest thing has come to my knowledge…I,"_ he starts to laugh humorlessly and I feel cold shivers run up my spine, and arms.

"- _was actually going to be framed for attacking this person. How funny is that?!"_

He laughs in such a cynical way that I feel my heart beating faster, in a horrified way. It's the laugh of a psychopath.

I turn, not wanting to look at the Chat. Suddenly Berry starts chirping frantically and I turn to look for him, he's sitting next to the TV. He turns his head to the screen as if saying 'Keep watching'.

" _I was going to be accused of killing the one thing in my life that keeps me slightly human!"_

I gape at the screen. One thing that keeps him slightly human?

…Me?

I blink a few times.

…He…cares that much?...

I feel something weird in my chest and tummy…

It's a fluttery feeling…

I look down in shame. He's hurting. I can't let that happen anymore… I need to try harder to help him.

Chat's just lost. I understand that now. He just needs someone to be there for him. Paris has their knowledge all wrong. If I could just get to the root of what's making him like this…

But how would I do that if I don't even know who he is? I need to figure it out. I have to. I doubt that he's willing to tell me anything as Chat Noir.

" _So I found the jackasses who hurt my friend. But that's not all. I found out who asked them to hurt her in the first place. Now Parisians, wouldn't you like to know the name of the person who has just made your lives a hundred times worse?"_

I watch as he tilts his head in a teasing, mocking manner. Just what was he planning?

I frown.

" _Well I'll gladly tell you, but first, I have a little destroying to do. Inside Le Grand Paris hotel, I've hidden a bomb at each level. It's going to go off in ten minutes. Good luck to everyone in the hotel!_ " He smiles broadly.

My eyes widen.

The hotel was a prestigious one, Chloe's home unfortunately, filled with mostly celebrities, but regardless of their status, they were still people! And they were in a building that was going down.

I gasp. What if they didn't get out in time?

I run downstairs, about to run out into the streets.

But I freeze. If I go out, I'll be breaking my promise to Chat…

And if I do, he may get upset or frantic.

Which may make him get angry…

There's the risk of being attacked if I go out there, and if I am, then he'll get worse.

I step away from the door.

I hear his voice again.

I run back upstairs. He's no longer in the studio. He's in somebody's room. A lavish room.

" _-There wasn't any bombs in the hotel."_

I sigh in relief. He really scared me there.

" _But rest assured. This place will be going down."_

I clutch my hair. He can't be serious.

He is so not serious.

"Pffft, you wouldn't do that."I say to Chat on the screen.

He turns the camera to three cages. Inside are three men. My memory flashes and I grab my head, it hurts. When I look back at the screen I instantly recognize those three.

I involuntarily suck in a panicked breath.

" _These men were the ones who hurt my princess."_ He places the camera down but it's still focused on the frightened men in the indestructible looking cages.

I feel my face flush at hearing him calling me _his princess._

I can't tear my eyes away from those men. They look so utterly petrified, like they're about to die.

" _Today, we will be conducting an experiment. How much pain can a man take?"_ He begins to tap his chin and a horrible feeling of anxiousness and dread takes a hold of me.

My eyes dart from Chat to the men.

Yes, they hurt me, but that didn't mean violence for violence was justified.

" _Now, unlike these pieces of crap, I don't use knives. But today…"_

My heart drops as I see him pull out a freakishly long, shining, sharp, stainless steel blade.

He turns it with his graceful, elegant fingers.

"… _I will."_

He walks towards one of the cages and he pulls the guy named Dickson out of it, throwing him onto the floor. The man is screaming and writhing on the floor, trying to break the restraints.

I feel tears form in my eyes. This is wrong.

" _Don't worry, I won't stab him…"_

I look up at Chat's impassive face.

Suddenly he plunges the deathly long knife into the man's leg, I begin to scream when I see the entire blade disappear into the man's flesh. Chat rips it out and the man screams in agony. I can't control my own horrified screams.

I hear other people's screaming echo through Paris as people stand horrified like myself in their homes. I wasn't the only one watching this. Everyone was witnessing this.

" _In any vital organs that is_." He says and Dickson cries in pain. He wriggles and screams. It's of no use.

Chat doesn't seem fazed in the slightest.

" _Shut up._ "He hisses.

He starts hacking at him.

It's almost as if he's passing every bit of anger into the blade and I can do absolutely nothing but scream and stare in shock and horror at him. He's smiling. He's enjoying what he's doing.

He isn't feeling remorse.

This is Chat. The guy who gets excited over plushies…

Practically mutilating another human being…

I want to go out there and stop him…But what can I do? It's not like I can run out there and get into the hotel. I'm helpless. I understand what they've done was wrong but this…

This was so evil.

But I can't help but wonder…If I'm feeling this when watching the man who hurt me, being attacked…How much more horrible must he have felt when he saw me last night…

Is this his version of retribution for their sins?

I don't know what to think. I don't know what to do. I can't do anything.

I'm so helpless.

I'm useless right now.

He takes the next man out and I feel ready to vomit as he skillfully slices at him. It's so gruesome. I begin to dry heave, having absolutely nothing in my system except the biscuit which has seemed to have disappeared at this point.

How can he do this?

How is he doing this?

Why isn't anyone stopping him?

He said there's no bombs!Someone should stop him!I should stop him.

I want to run out there. I have to do something!

He grabs the next man after throwing the guy that I think is Vea into the cage and slamming it.

He didn't torture them slowly. He was fast, but brutal, leaving little of their bodies unsliced.

Their bodies were like thinly sliced ham… That the butcher later decided to slice horizontally aswell.

" _Hello pervert."_

He swings the knife across the man's face and blood begins to pour out. I hear myself screaming again. Why can't I move?Why am I not doing anything?

Why can't I tear myself away from the screen?

Why am I just screaming?

DO SOMETHING!

" _Now you see, Parisians, I've actually been quite gentle with you all this time. But I've been pushed to a point that I'm afraid I can't return now you know…"_ He starts, walking to the rooftop of the hotel. His eyes glint mischievously. I blink the horrified tears out of my eyes.

" _Cataclysm_!" He shouts out. He slams his hand onto the side of the building.

My heart drops out of my chest. Those men…They were in there...

Suddenly I hear an enormous, crushing, falling noise, it's not only coming from the tv.

It was the hotel. It was collapsing, emitting a colossal, awful noise that washes over Paris, and it's so loud and so sudden that I begin to feel lightheaded.

"… _not to touch what's mine_." He whispers and the footage just stops. Mine? I'm an item? Is that why he finds it so easy to hurt people? Is it because we're all just objects to him? Does he think people are expendable?

I step backward, my back hits a wall and I slide down it.

I don't want to believe that Chat has it in him to kill anyone. I'd been looking online into the cases of his attacks, and not one of them has resulted in actual death…

Comas, yes.

Paralyzed people, yes.

Multiple cases of people turned into lunatics, yes.

Death, no.

I have been telling myself that Chat isn't a murderer.

But it was a collapsing building, it was at least thirty stories tall.

How in the name of Gabriel Agreste were they supposed to survive a fall like that?

They fit in the cage snuggly, it would be hard for them to die of a broken neck I suppose… I think…I hope…if they had no space to move…There was always the possibility of it.

Or a concussion.

The debris or falling bricks could kill them.

They were already hurt.

I feel myself crying uncontrollably. They were still human. I watched murder.

I watched my friend murder people.

I watched it and did nothing.

A small whooshing sound to my left forces me to turn my head.

It's him.

He's crouched next to me, his mouth is forming a frown, and he looks at me with a curious, worried expression.

"You!" I snarl, scrambling away from him and jumping up, ignoring the head rush.

He stands up gracefully with a complicated look on his face. He looks down at me.

I point at him.

"YOU!" I say again through sudden angry tears.

He tilts his head, his brows are furrowed.

"Me." He says in an even tone.

"How could you do that to them?!" I shout.

Realization dawns on his face.

"Ohhhh."He says.

"Oh? OH?Is that what you have to say for yourself? Oh?"

He raises a brow.

"Princess, they deserved far worse." He says as if it's a solid fact.

"How could you do something so awful Chat? HOW?"I yell, trying to understand.

"Quite easily…There really wasn't much to it at all." He says rubbing the back of his neck , genuinely not understanding me.

I find myself unable to speak. I just bring my hands to my face and cry into my palms.

I don't hear any movement, but somehow he's in front of me.

"Why are you so upset?" He asks gently, as if he hadn't done something so horrible.

I look at him with burning eyes.

"Because you killed them! You murdered them!" I say, shoving him away from me. He blinks at me.

"You say I can't do reckless things, but there you are, destroying hotels and hurting people!" I snarl, smacking him in the chest.

His eyes flicker down to where I smacked him and then back up to me.

"You abused them! You tortured them! How could you attack them, knowing that they had no chance against you?"

His nostrils flare a bit.

"Oh yes, because they considered that yesterday evening when they were attacking you." He hisses.

"That's different!" I growl out.

"How is it different at all?"

"It just is!" I say exasperatedly.

"You don't have an answer." He says calmly, crossing his arms.

I purse my lips.

He continues to speak. "I'm not a person to point out faults in the open, but you really lack self-conservation or sense of justice."

"SHUT UP!"I shout and his eyes momentarily widen at the high-heel that flies towards his face, he catches it with cat-like reflexes.

"Size 4…Ha, tiny feet." He says.

"No sense of justice?! How can you even say that?" I snarl, throwing the other heel at him. He dodges it.

"I don't particularly claim that I'm going to heaven or anything, isn't going to hell justice enough?"

"Bullshit!" I screech, almost blanching at my cussing, and throwing more shoes at him.

"You can't bloody go around attacking people, ruining their lives!" I say and he just dodges the incoming rain of shoes.

Screw the shoes! I'm punching him!

I walk up to him and he starts stepping back.

"I'd like to just say that you're attacking a defenseless guy now…"He says holding his hands up.

"Defenseless?" I hiss, throwing my fist at his face, he catches it.

"Well, my baton is over there…"

I huff, trying to kick him. He catches my ankle.

"How come you're not this violent with your other friends?" He asks.

"Because _they_ don't do stupid things!"

He rolls his eyes.

"You're being childish." He says.

"Says the guy who destroyed a building because he was upset." I say, yanking myself away and stumbling in the process.

He catches me before I hit the ground.

 **Narrator POV**

He was quite aware that the bluenette was prone to having outbursts of violence around him, but it was very startling to see her crying while having the outburst.

He couldn't understand. What person in the right mind didn't want their attackers to pay for their crimes?

Then again, this was Marinette , the woman who befriended criminals and also had no idea just how much those men had done to her.

He had burned down their home after bombing the hotel, so now their bodies, phones and their home lay in ruins. After feeding a pissed off Plagg and watching from a distance as the three asswipes were removed from the debris to ensure that they were actually alive after that drop, he came to check on Marinette, and there she was, on the floor crying.

His first instinct was to pull her into a hug, but he had no idea if he was the one who upset her or not in the first place, and it seems his hunch was correct.

She seemed very distraught and he couldn't help but feel extremely guilty for making her this upset…

But what was he supposed to do? Let them get away with it?

No, that wasn't even an option.

What friend did something like that?

He may have got a little carried away with the butchering…But he felt it was completely justified.

Touching Marinette was out of bounds.

Hurting her was like asking to be put to death.

"EEEEEEE!" She squeals as she loses her balance.

Chat catches her. Her face is still red from tears and frustration.

"Let go of me!" She snarls, trying to struggle her way out of his arms, smacking him in various places and pushing against him with brute force.

He sighs. This was not going anywhere.

He shifts and pins her to the floor easily.

"Okay, princess, I'm sorry." He says earnestly.

"That doesn't help anything! You murdered people!"

"Actually I just seriously injured them. They aren't dead, I'm not that reckless."

Marinette stops wriggling and looks up at him with weary eyes.

"How do you know that?"

"Heavily cushioned sacks. Indestructible, impermeable cages. Highest floor. Also, I checked up on them earlier."

"They could be dead now." Marinette says with a sniff.

Chat shakes his head.

"They aren't."

"How do you know that?"

"I just do…"

Marinette's lip trembles before she cries more and Chat feels increasingly terrible.

"Why did you have to be so awful to them?" She says with a sob.

It was difficult to ignore the horrible pang in his chest at her words. He sighed.

"I couldn't help it…"He says in a defeated tone.

Marinette regards him with teary eyes.

"If you heard the things they said…If you saw yourself yesterday…It was just…I don't know how to describe it…But I felt something…And I didn't like it. I didn't like seeing you that way. I'm not used to all these…emotions. It's very foreign to me, and I don't know how to react to it."

Marinette blinks the tears out of her eyes and watches Chats face. He's looking at the floor next to her head, his brows are furrowed.

"I haven't actually had someone in my life that actually cared about me. And I don't want pity when I say that…but for me, it's strange to have someone actually be…kind to me. Normally the only things I can trust are…they're…Well they tend to be inanimate objects." He says and her eyes widen.

"I don't have relationships with people. The only people who actually do speak to me just use me for their benefit." Chat says with a small laugh, he removes his hands from her wrists but stays in his kneeling position above her.

"You know, one would think I'm a scoundrel or something in my civilian life with the way I behave when I'm in this suit… But…but I'm just this little coward goody-two shoes who does everything he's told. I'm an obedient little boy who never made any friends."

Marinette wants to say something, but she can't find the words.

"My life is so different from yours. We're practically from completely opposite worlds…and I know it's a dumb thing to even say but somehow I like being part of your world more then I like being in mine."

He sighs.

"Your world makes me feel like I'm normal…It's like I'm not unwanted. In my world, no matter what I do, no matter what I say, I'm an abomination. I'm not even me when I'm me. I'm this hybrid creature that everyone expects me to be just because of who I am."

Chat begins to move away from her, into a corner.

She sits up, momentarily forgetting the night's events, and watches as his demeanor begins to change.

"And even when I'm being exactly what they want me to be, I'm still not perfect enough. There's always something wrong with me. There's always something I should be doing better, and if I'm not better then I'm worthless."

"Chat…"

"I can't be like you Marinette. I can't just trust and be nice to people. People are disgusting. You think everyone's a good person inside. You have the mindset that everyone's a wonderful person if you just look deeper… But there really isn't anything more to me. I'm a husk of person and a bloody freak of nature."

He snickers to himself.

"I can't go ten minutes without feeling like going out and attacking someone. I enjoy hearing them beg and scream and cry. It's like this agonizingly sadistic, marvelous piece of music that I just want to hear over and over and over again. I just want everyone to feel how I feel. I want them to feel what they're putting me through. I want the world to suffer hell, because you know what? It's unfair that I have to be condemned for being something I never wanted to be in the first place."

Marinette could practically feel the dark aura radiating from Chat.

"And I always thought that everyone deserved to suffer. I wanted the entire of Paris to be afraid. Nobody ever cared, so I figured I'd just return the favor…But then you come along and hit me with your damn pot and your hot-headed yet caring nature and suddenly I'm feeling…feelings…and it's so strange and weird and frustrating because I'm not a good person. I shouldn't feel happy to see someone, I shouldn't feel loved but somehow you make me feel as if I am. I don't understand it. I can't understand it."

He sighs.

"It's frightening how fast I've gotten attached to you. I don't know what to make of my emotions because…Well you're alive. You're not just one of the things I own. Every time I think you're going to act in a certain way you just throw me into the water by doing something else entirely, and none of the things I have in my possession have ever done such a thing."

He smiles to himself.

"But I've found that it's not actually unpleasant. Somehow, I just don't feel as horrible about myself when I see you, because you're so brilliant..."

Marinette feels her face heat up, and she feels tingly…

He suddenly he snarls.

"But _not_ when you're practically dead with bits of your mutilated corpse of a body hanging everywhere like badly butchered meat of a caribou in Alaska."

Marinette's mouth hangs open.

"You can't ask me why I did what I did tonight if you don't realize that if you're dead then I have no reason to not be violent. Obviously I'm going to go ballistic if my only friend in the world decides to get killed because they think a fashion show and an identity reveal is more important than their own safety."

He turns to her.

"In fact, why are you mad at me? I should be mad at you." He says with narrowed eyes.

"First of all, you completely toyed with my emotions in the worst possible way. Secondly why the heck are you trying to figure out who I am? You completely went behind my back in doing so and then yo-"

"OKAY OKAY!I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!Let's just say we're both wrong!"Marinette says, realizing that she was actually being very being extremely sneaky about the entire identity thing.

Also…Chat had just said something so personal…

If she remained tempered there was the possibility that he would push her away.

But it was difficult to pretend that this night hadn't happened.

He had done something so savage. So horrible.

Her mind wanted to stay angry at him, and her heart remained confused.

She closes her eyes.

Chat was sick.

But as he had said,she was the only person he cared about.

She would drop the issue for now…But she had a clever plan.

It could only be described as a deal with the devil.

She would bring it up before she went to bed.

Chat internally jumps deviously.

She wasn't upset at him anymore because she thought he was going to be mad at her. At least that is what he thought.

Excellent.

Marinette shifts a bit on the floor.

"…Well…I don't think you're a freak of nature." She says slowly.

Chat regards her with weary eyes before laughing lightly.

"You don't think anyone is a freak though Marinette, do you?"

"No… Freak is a disturbing word. You're not one…You're just a bit creepy and dangerous." She says slowly.

Chat gives her a sarcastic look.

"Geeeeeeez princess, I really feel much better now." He rolls his eyes.

Marinette shifts closer to him.

"Chat…What happened to you?" She asks after a minute of silence.

He purses his lips and regards her for a moment.

"That… Is a very disturbing story."

Marinette raises a brow.

"I just watched you mutilate 3 men and have fun doing it, I think I'll survive." She says with a nervous laugh.

"How do you just switch like that?" Chat says with widened eyes.

Marinette sighs.

"I'm not gonna lie Chat, I'm absolutely freaked out that you could do something like that. But at the same time…"

She leans forward and kisses his cheek.

"I'm thankful that you care that much about me."

Chat's tanned skin turns a fiery red and he touches his cheek, looking at her with wide eyes.

"…Bipolar." He says suddenly to himself after a moment of shocked silence, nodding to himself as well.

Marinette smacks him on the arm.

"Whatever! I'm still mad at you." She growls.

Chat blinks a few times. "Advanced stages of Bipolar disorder…"

Marinette sighs and suddenly moves into the corner with Chat. His eyes widen as she moves into his personal space bubble, she's ignoring the confused look on his perfect face.

"I care about you too you know." She says and he feels his heart rate accelerate.

What was going on with him?

"You can tell me anything."

"Really, so what if I told you that I eat mice, cough fur-balls and savor the taste of cod-liver oil, what would you think?" He says with a raised brow.

"Well then I guess I have to learn how to cook mice, get you a fur-ball bucket and stock up on cod-liver oil." She says with a light shrug.

Chat tilts his head and frowns.

"What could you possible gain from hearing about my problematic existence, princess?"

"Insight." She says simply.

"Unless you just want to gain information and then tell the authorities-"

"Come on Chat, if I was really going to do that don't you think I would've told them that you come to my house, practically every night?"

Marinette looks into his eyes.

"Listen Chat… I believe that you've been harboring your emotions, and your pain for way too long. It's wrong for me to force you to talk about something, and I know that I'm supposed to wait for you to tell me, but in all honesty, I think you and I both know that you feel that you will never be ready."

"But if I continue to ignore it, it doesn't scare me as much." Chat says.

Marinette shakes her head.

"No Chat, the more you ignore it, the worse it gets. It's going to stay that way till you realize that what has happened has already happened, and the more you try to ignore it the worse it will become. It's like a deep wound. Covering it up with a plaster will make you feel as if it's not there, but it's not going to stop the pain and infection from spreading. The wound will begin to reek .Over time you're going to start getting sick because now the infection is in your bloodstream. And that's what's happened,Chaton…You keep putting a plaster over your wounds. You ignore it, but eventually you won't be able to anymore. You have to tear of the plaster, no matter how ugly or humiliating your wound may be, you have to dig it out, and clean your system. Yes, you will always have that scar…But kitty, that's a sign that you survived, that you made it out alive. You have to acknowledge it Chat. You need to do it."

Chat sighs.

"I know… I just don't know how to talk about this.I have never said this out loud."

Marinette looks at him kindly.

"Trust me."

He looks at her with frightened eyes. It's something she hasn't seen before.

He contemplates something for a moment before sighing.

"Alright, princess, I'll tell you now, but…it's not exactly a story that I can just say…It's humiliating. It's disgusting." He says, looking at his knees with a frown.

Marinette places a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm not here to judge you, I will care no matter what."

Chat smiles a little.

Maybe she was right…

Maybe it was time to get better…

He suddenly gasps. "What am I doing, you have to drink your water, eat and sleep."

"But you were about to tell me…"

"And now I'm going to put you in your bed and you are going to eat something, drink your water and be asleep by midnight." He says suddenly standing and picking her up and jumping up to her loft.

"But but but you said you were gonna tell me!" Marinette whines as Chat tries to put her on her bed.

"I'll tell you eventually."

"But-"

"I bet you haven't drunk even one glass of water today."

Marinette huffs, this was his problem.

He always hides from what happened to him.

Not this time.

Chat was going to get better, and there would be no problem-escapees under her watch.

She suddenly grabs him and refuses to let go of him as he tries to straighten up after laying her down.

"What are you doing?" He says with a raised brow.

"I'm protesting. Peacefully."

Chat chuckles but when he tries to stand he ends up taking Marinette with him.

"I'm not letting go until you start talking."

"And what about the emotional trauma I'll feel when I talk about it?" Chat says, trying to pry her off his body.

She holds on even tighter, resulting in her body being pressed flush against his.

Chat's face turns increasingly red.

"Princess, come on let go before you get scratched. My claws are sharp."

"No, the only way to heal is if you talk about it." Marinette says.

"Oh yay, I'm so excited." He says with aneye rolll.

"Chat it's been four years since you became a villain, the time for action is now!" Marinette says as Chat does his absolute best you yank the woman off him.

He steps away from the bed, resulting in Marinette being carried with him.

He splutters.

"You are so not doing this." He says as Marinette shifts and wraps an arm around his neck.

He tries to remove the arm, and seeing the potential of detachment, Marinette suddenly lets go, and pushes him off the loft.

His eyes widen as he flips himself over before he hits the ground, only to be pressed flat onto the ground when the crazy girl jumps from her bed, right onto his back, wrapping her arms and legs around him.

"What the hell." He says, pushing off the floor.

"I'm not moving."

"Yes you are." Chat says with a small growl as he tries to shake her off him. She doesn't budge.

"Marinette come on! I mean, come off!" He says with a groan.

"No!"

"Are we seriously gonna do this right now?"He says with a huff, trying to jump around so that she gets dizzy and decides to let go."

"Princesssssss."Chat says, letting out an extremely rare whine as he jumps up and down to try and get her to release her hold.

"You have to drink your water and eat." He says, turning his head a bit to look at her.

"No."

"NO?"

"Yes, No."She says.

Chat growls.

"I'm not asking you, I'm telling you." He says, starting to march towards her trapdoor, he sighs and with a slight pout he holds her legs to support her, realizing that she really wasn't planning on letting go.

Marinette snickers. It was hard to take him seriously when his hair was in her nose. It smelled so nice. It was like an expensive, minty, musky sort of scent.

She takes a deep sniff.

Chat freezes.

"Did you just…"

Berry chirps.

Chat's eyes flicker to the bird, and he forgets his question.

Marinette sighs in relief.

"You should put him back into his box."

Chat glares at her.

"And get pooped on again? I don't think so."

"Pleaseeeee?"

"No."

"PLEEAAASEEE?"

"No."

"PPPPLLEEEEEEAAAAASSEEEE CHAAAAATTTT!" Marinette whines and Chat sighs.

He walks up to Berry and looks at him.

"Hello, little shit."

Berry chirps. Chat picks him up quickly and places him in his heated box.

"Thanks Chaton."Marinette says petting his head. Chat just huffs as he begins to walk down to the kitchen.

"How did it get to this? I've become her full on slave." He groans to himself.

He enters the kitchen.

"I made some chicken with pesto for you yesterday before the fashion show, so it should still be there." Marinette says.

"I'm not hungry as yet." Chat says honestly, but realizes that he actually hasn't even eaten a whole meal today.

"Then I'm not hungry either."

"You're such a baby."

Marinette's ears perk up when she hears sirens travelling towards the hotel. For the first time in a very long time, the police-forces were out after 5.

She sighed, the TV was still on upstairs.

' _Ignore ._ ' She thinks to herself.

"Let's make a deal, I'll eat if you eat." She says.

"That's not fair."

"It is fair because I know for a fact that you've barely eaten today."

"And how have you come to that conclusion, princess?" He says, looking at her with a raised brow, over his shoulder.

"With all the scheming that must have went into today, I doubt that you took the time to say, 'Hey, let me pause from my devious plan to get some low carb, high fat protein meal with a side of kale salad and a snack of toasted cashews.'." Marinette says with a pointed look.

Chat narrows his eyes and huffs.

"For your information, I only eat cashews when they're raw because nuts are heavy on my digestive system…AND I prefer raw almonds…And I don't like kale…"

Marinette makes a mental note of everything he's just said. She nods.

He sighs and opens her fridge, adjusting himself so that Marinette stays comfortable from the piggy-back position she's in.

It's fully stocked, and he pulls out the casserole containing the chicken in pesto dressing.

"I feel like you should eat something else. You most probably have nothing in your system." He says, his voice taking on a concerned edge.

Marinette sighs into the side of his neck. Chat blanches and feels his hair stand on end.

His body was being very strange.

"Okay…But you still have to eat with me." She says to him.

Chat groans.

"Fine. What would you like to eat?" He says eventually.

"Let's make pizza!" Marinette says happily.

Chat groans.

"And how are we going to do that when you're latched onto my back and the only pair of hands available are mine?"

"Urrrrm…"

"We can just order pizza."He says.

"But nobody delivers food after 5pm anymore Chat."

Chat pauses.

Well, it was true that nobody would be foolish enough to deliver pizza on a night like tonight, but he knew that in his home, the chefs would cook anything for their young master. Even pizza.

"Could you let go of me for a few minutes, I promise that I'll be right back."

"No."

"Come on princess, it's just like a few minutes."

"You're just trying to escape."

"I'm not." He says, marveling at how weird it sounds for a civilian girl to be holding a serial attacker and sadist as her prisoner.

"It's fine I'll eat the pesto chicken."

"But I don't want you to eat the chicken in pesto."

"I'm sure it's nutritious." Marinette says rolling her eyes.

"Nutritious does not always mean energizing, and the old man gave me strict instructions. You need something filling."

"I'll boil some noodles then."

"But you wanted pizza."

"Well, now I want noodles."

"No, you want pizza, and you're saying you want noodles so that I stay here."

"You don't know that! What if I really want noodles?"

Chat snorts.

"Do you want noodles?"

"Yes!" Marinette says, her voice sounded off, as if she were telling a lie.

"Hmmmm…Liar." Chat says.

Marinette groans.

Chat thinks for a moment…

What if… he took her with him?

No, he couldn't do that…

Sure, he didn't have pictures of himself in his room,neither was his name plastered anywhere… But it would be very risky to have her in there…

It was a personal place…Not to mention a place that he thoroughly despised.

Regardless, it was a place he was well accustomed to, and it was the only place he knew that his butlers would deliver to…

But Marinette was still a civilian…How could he just trust her?

How could he just let her see the place that he spent most of his life being tortured in?

To bring someone so innocent into a hellhole like that…A place that he suffered so much in… It was…wrong.

…But maybe...if she were in the room, it wouldn't be such an awful place.

Her radiance could most certainly brighten the worst of things…

Perhaps his torture chamber was no different…

Now it just came down to trust…

Did he trust her enough to take her there?

Did he trust her enough to let her see the hellhole he spent his life in?

…

Yes.

Yes he did.

"Say princess…Would you like to go out somewhere?"

Marinette finds herself blushing at the suggestion.

"As fun as that sounds, you don't make a very subtle customer or companion."

"No, I mean…Would you like to go to my house?"

Marinette freezes.

"You… you're going to let me see where you live?" She asks in shock.

He clicks his tongue.

"Of course not, silly. We'll be inside my room just for a bit."

"Inside your room…"

Chat can feel the worry radiating off her.

He feels his heart sink. Of course she wouldn't want to go with him…He was a freak after all. She couldn't just trust him.

Marinette tightens her hold on him.

"If I go, you'll tell me everything, and I mean _everything,_ deal?"

Chat's eyes widen.

She trusted _him?!_

Wait…

She trusted him…

He can't help the smile that suddenly forms on his face.

He wonders for a moment…What would Marinette think of him after she heard his story?

Would she sympathize with him?

Would she be horrified that he was almost a father?

Would she laugh because he was scared of a snooty girl?

Or would she understand like she's always done?

He took a deep breath.

He knew she was right, all these years, he wished he could've spoken to someone about his situation; he just never had anyone to speak to…

But now he did…

Should he take the opportunity?

…Or let it go?

He opened his mouth to say something, but as he turned his head and looked into Marinette's compassionate blue eyes, his words died in his throat.

They held a compelling intensity in them. It was as if he was being hauled into something greater than he had ever known, something marvelous, something so beautiful that it should be a crime to not acknowledge.

She was perfection incarnate.

Who was he to deny a princess-as ethereal as her- anything?

If she wanted to know his story, then God's grace, she would hear it.

"…Deal."

She smiles and blinks.

He jumps, so that she sits higher up on his back and then he begins to make his way up to her room.

The TV is still on, showing footage of the destroyed building.

Chat puts it off.

"Promise that you're going to keep your eyes closed."

Marinette rolls her eyes.

"I promise."

"And if you don't, I'll destroy you, you know." He threatens in a menacing voice.

"Yeah yeah yeah, hold your whiskers." She says, and tucks her head into his neck, hiding her eyes. She keeps them closed, like she said she would.

Chat picks up his baton and opens her trapdoor.

He pauses.

"Your eyes are really closed right?" He asks.

"Yes they are."

Chat looks down at the little box of ladybug biscuits. He might as well take it with him.

"Okay, hold on, princess."

He closes the trapdoor and holds her legs tightly.

Suddenly, Marinette feels them jumping and darting.

She wants to scream…Or open her eyes…She's going to the home of a criminal…

To where Chat was raised…

She clenched her eyelids, forcing them to stay closed, suddenly, they were landing.

He didn't live that far away from her it seemed.

She hears him sigh.

He goes to his phone and switches it off, and puts it away.

With a glance around the room to make sure there was no loophole that would give away his identity, he rubbed Marinette's hand gently.

"You can open your eyes now."

"Oh my gosh!" She says and her mouth drops open. Chat chuckles.

"This is your _room_?!Like as in just your bedroom?!"She asks in shock.

She suddenly jumps off him, looking around.

"Hey, no snooping." He says lightly, knowing that she won't listen to him anyway.

Thank God he didn't have personal things lying around.

"You have your own library."

"And you've been jumping over Paris in a nightdress."

"Huh?" Marinette looks down at herself, realizing that he was right. Marinette shrieks.

"Oh my gosh!"

"Relax Princess, nobody saw you."

"Still…"

"Don't worry about , what kind of pizza are you feeling for?"

She wasn't hungry.

' _Come on Marinette. Go with it. You made a deal.'_

"Urrrrmmmm, three cheese,oooh with olives!"She says as an afterthought.

Chat chuckles and walks to an intercom on the wall. He presses a button.

"Yes young master?" The butlers voice says through the microphone.

Marinette's jaw drops.

"Young master?" She whispers in awe.

Chat speaks into the microphone.

"Could you send up a large three cheese pizza with olives, and a serving of chicken in pesto. Also, I need eight 500ml bottles of water and my usual serving of green tea. Leave it outside my door."

"Right away sir. I'll have it there in 30 minutes."

"That is all."

"Yes young master."

Chat stopped holding the button and he stepped back.

He turned to Marinette.

She was looking at him oddly.

"You have butlers…Your room is bigger than my whole house…People call you young master…Are you a prince?" She asks.

Chat snorts, walking over to his bed and picking up the Marinette Plushy doll.

"If I were a prince I would have certain people beheaded." He says walking over to Marinette.

"You should sit." He says calmly, taking her hand and leading her to his couch.

A thought runs through his mind.

He wonders if he should tire her out so that he doesn't have to tell her…

Marinette narrows her eyes at the scheming look on his face.

She knew exactly what he was thinking.

Marinette suddenly grabs hold of him from behind.

"You almost escaped." She says into his back. Her arms are wrapped around his waist.

Chat laughs lightly and looks under him.

"…You want to know that badly?"

Marinette sighs. She knows she's being bold. But with Chat, bold was the only way to go.

She nods.

He chuckles.

"Okay princess. But only after you eat."

"I'm only eating when you eat, that was our deal."

"Yes yes, I remember the deal." He says as he walks towards the sofa, aware of the petite woman clinging to him…

He had to admit…

It felt kind of…

Amazing.

He looks at his sofa. Sitting wouldn't be possible.

"Hey Chat? How fast can you run?"

"Pretty fast, why?"

"Wanna play cat and mouse."

"Let me guess, I'll be the _Chat_ and you'll be the mouse?" He says with a small smirk, looking down at Marinette's arms.

"Clever kitty."

"Okay princess, I'm _feline_ in a generous mood today. So I'll give you thirty seconds to run, Mousinette."

Marinette laughs.

"Okay Kitty." Marinette says with a devious grin, pushing away from him. He frowns at the loss of her presence and warmth.

Chat humors her by giving her an extra thirty seconds, but then when he goes to his bedroom door, ensures it's locked and looks up at the bluenette in the library balcony he realizes instantly that she's planning something very bad.

"Princess…I've told you before, devious smiles only look good on me." He says, narrowing his eyes at her nightdress that she's tied in a knot at her waist, giving her legs freedom to move.

He begins to saunter to the spot on the ground below the balcony.

"Times up ,princess." He purrs out, cocking his head.

"Come get me then." She shoots back.

Chat lets out one of his sneaky, manic grins before suddenly he jumps up onto the balcony, but she's gone.

His eyes dart around and he hears a giggle from below.

She's on the bed, with her hands on her hips.

His eyes widen.

"How did you get there?"

"I jumped." She says simply.

"You jumped?!"He growls, looking at the vast distance between the bed and the balcony.

"Uh huh. I can't believe you didn't see me, I thought you were supposed to be super-elite."

"I am." He says, jumping down from the balcony, only to find Marinette already almost at the top of the skate-ramp.

He jumps to the top, but she's running into the library area.

He darts after her, but she's sliding down the firefighter pole.

He runs down the stairs to find that she's tricked him and is now climbing back up the pole.

He gets to the top to wait for her and she slides down.

He growls in frustration.

He had no idea that Marinette was this agile.

In all honesty, she had enough stamina to be a superhero or something…

He breathes heavily and snarls when he sees the shit-eating grin on her face as she perches on the sofa.

"Is the kitty tired?"

"Not in the slightest." He says, pouncing on the sofa, but she runs around it and runs to the other side of the foosball table.

He runs to it as well, determined to jump over and grab her but she slides underneath it and begins to make her way up the stairs again.

"Princess…"He says as he breathes heavily.

It was so hard to keep up with her…Never had he felt his abilities to be inferior… But now it was hard to fight that feeling.

"Chaton?"She calls back, her head comically popping up from behind the sofa.

What the hell…He had just seen her go up the stairs!

"You..Y…Youre so fast."He says, eyeing her through his hair,his breaths come out in short huffs.

She chuckles.

"I took gymnastics when I was younger…"

"And I took fencing, but you're still besting me…How?" He asks incredulously.

"I have no idea.I haven't felt this energetic in years!"

Chat frowns.

She hadn't eaten anything at all…

Was it something to do with Fu's magic?

In his thoughtful state, he failed to see Marinette run behind him.

She yanked his tail and then let go before running up the stairs again.

Chat growls.

"Okay mouse, playtime is over!" He hisses, suddenly running up the stairs on all fours.

Marinette shrieks and jumps over the balcony. She rolls off his bed just as he jumps down and lands on it.

He growls.

"Come back here!"

Marinette takes a moment to stick out her tongue.

Chat sucks in an affronted gasp.

Marinette giggles and darts around the room, skidding under furniture and jumping over his expensive couches.

"Feel free to give up at any-"Marinette starts as she leaps over the bed but suddenly Chat grabs her by the waist, pulling her back onto the bed.

"C…Caught you Princess." He says through heavy breaths.

Marinette looks up at him shocked. She's pinned down.

Now he's the one who's caught her.

Chat's head collapses on her shoulder.

"Remind me not to play games with you again."

Marinette laughs and Chat perks up, his heart fluttering with the sound of her lighthearted laugh.

"You win, you win." She says, freeing a hand from his grasp, and petting his head. He finds himself rubbing his head against her graceful hand.

Then he realizes just what he was doing.

He moves back and looks at her oddly.

He wasn't sure what he was feeling…But…He was feeling something.

It was a strange something.

He opens his mouth to speak but a knock on the door interrupts him.

"Your food is ready sir."

"Leave it there." He calls back.

He gets off the bed.

"Stay." He says, giving her with a stern look.

She rolls her eyes.

"Yes, Master." She says, rolling over on the bed.

He watches her for a moment before getting their food. He opens the door slightly, and after making sure the coast is clear, he pulls the table with their food and the water into the room.

He looks at the bed. He doesn't like the idea of Marinette being on it like that. Princesses cannot lay on filth.

"Ready to down 16 glasses of water?" He says, taking her hand and tugging on it so that she gets off the bed, and she does, much to his relief.

The two sit down and start eating, after about three hours, Marinette had eaten most of her pizza and downed 6 of the eight bottles.

Chat had finished and was now watching her suffer through her bottles of water. It was almost 11.

"Come on princess. Just a few more bottles."

Marinette groaned.

"I can't drink anymore Chat. I'm going to explode. I really have to pee, AGAIN. Honestly, this much water should result in kidney failure, you know." She says standing up.

Chat blinks a few times, well, he knew that, but he believed that the old man had a plan.

"The old man knows what he's doing."

She looks to the door with a bear on it.

She turns and walks over to it. He watches her go.

Once the door closes he runs a hand through his hair.

He was very happy that she wasn't angry at him anymore…But the time was drawing near for him to reveal his traumatic story to her…

He didn't want to scare her…

But the truth scared even him.

Marinette came out of the bathroom.

"Okay, I'll drink these while we talk." She says, opening bottle number 7.

Chat looks up at her with panicked eyes.

She notices and sighs.

"Chat… You have to face the battlefield if you want to win the war. Don't run away anymore." She says.

"I won't…Its just…It's not something I feel you should hear."

"Why not?"

Chat looks away from her and stands from the sofa.

He walks towards the window, watching as the last of the lights around the crumbled hotel dim and fade away.

"I feel as if I'm pulling you into darkness by telling you…I feel as if I'm tainting you."

"Chat, listen to me."

He looks at her as she moves to stand in front of him. The moonlight illuminates her porcelain skin.

"Nothing you say will make me act differently. I swear to you. What has happened to you wasn't your intention. You aren't pulling me into darkness. You are not tainting me."

Chat looks down.

"Princess, how can you promise that?"

Marinette frowns and places a hand on his cheek. He looks up at her, confusedly.

"Would I lie to you?"

Chat blinks a few times before leaning into her hand, his hand reaches up and covers her hand on his cheek.

She wouldn't lie to him.

 **Chat's POV:**

I take a deep breath. Dealing with something on your own is one thing. Saying it out loud is another.

As I look at the wonderful young woman in front of me, I realize that she's right.

I have been hiding from my pain. But instead of a plaster, I cover it up with a black cat body-suit.

It isn't my fault that I fear speaking about it, that _things_ constant threats ring in the back of my head. No matter how far I go, they're always there, biting down on me.

I've always wished that I could tell someone and I always believed that I would if I could.

But when the opportunity has finally presented itself, I lose my confidence, and I feel like I can't.

She's a very perceptive person for realizing that. She figured out that I would never talk about it on my own.

That I need to be coaxed.

That I would say one thing and then try _escaping._

But she is right. I can't run forever.

I sigh and close my eyes. Her hand is still on my face. I can barely begin to describe intensity of how safe I feel with this petite woman.

At this point, I know that if something were to happen to her, if she were gone, I wouldn't survive.

In fact, I wouldn't let anyone survive. I'd most probably destroy everyone.

I inhale deeply.

But I wouldn't let that happen. I wouldn't let any more harm come to my princess.

"Do you want to sit?" She asks.

I exhale before nodding.

She moves towards the couch, the last 2 of the bottled waters are on the coffee table along with my baton and the biscuit box.

I sit down. She looks at me expectantly.

I can't find the words to start.

How do you say something like this?

I couldn't say 'Chloe' in the story, that would make her figure out who I was.

I run a hand through my hair. Why do I feel so jittery?

I want to fidget with something.

She looks down at my hands as I scratch my claws together. She reaches out after a moment and holds them.

I instantly feel much better.

I exhale again, trying to soothe my anxiety.

Anxiety was not a good thing to have. Especially in these kinds of situations.

"Okay…So a very long time ago, my mother died."

 _Disappeared_ would sound too much like the Agreste story.

"And I guess after that, everything has gone downhill for me."

I gulp, and she squeezes my hand in a reassuring way.

"I can barely remember much about her really. But I know that she was an amazing person. She always treated me as if I were her prince, and she was the super-queen who would be there to protect me from anything. She never fought with anyone. She never scolded me. She loved my father, she made us laugh so hard. She was just…Amazing…But then she was gone, and I didn't understand."

I take another calming breath.

"My father was never very…Affectionate…At least not to me. With her he was a different person entirely, but he was a great father if I'm honest. He was there if I needed anything. He also cracked a whole lot of jokes and awful puns."

"Like you." Marinette says with a small smile.

I smile back and lay my head on the back of the couch.

"Yes princess, like me…But when my mother died, he just…He just became cold towards me. He began to miss my birthdays. He started going on more business trips. He threw himself into work. It was as if he were purposely avoiding me. The next thing I knew, I was being asked to model, take up piano, Chinese, fencing and start preparing for University. I think I was 12 at the time."

She blinks in shock.

"Is that possible…How could you study for that at 12?"She says with a horrified look.

"I'm an extremely quick learner. It certainly helped though that I had private tutors. So by the time I was 12 you can say that I was almost done with high school and by the time I was 16 I was almost done with my university final exams."

"…So…You're done with your education?"

"Pretty much."

She looks at me with a shocked expression.

"So what are you?"

"A Cardiothoracic Surgeon, but I'm only going to start in residency at the end of this year, that's for four years and then I have to complete cardiothoracic residency and then I still have to go onto fellowship so I'm not exactly qualified, but father has decided that he wants me to complete all of that in the next 5 years. So that's that. Father tells everyone I'm still in my first year of University though. My degree is basically almost done, I mean I finished the education part of it. …But he really doesn't want me going out into the world just yet I guess."

Her mouth drops open.

"You mean like…you're a doctor?"

"Well,Yes."

She downs the seventh bottle in her shock.

"So you're a genius."

"What?"

"You're super smart Chat!"

"I am…? The children in India are doctors _by the time they're 12_ …They're inspirational." Because they were, every time that I thought I couldn't do something because I was too young, I thought of those Einsteins.

"Yes! Not everyone can just become a surgeon! It's really a really difficult thing to even pass your studies in! How did you finish it in four years. What about your undergraduate degree?"

I tilt my head. I had no idea that people found it difficult. I found it as simple as particle physics.

"Well I never had a holiday. It was kind of a continuous cycle of studying."

"But…but you were a child."

"Well it wasn't all that bad, I mean I used to get rewarded with ice-cream…But then ice-cream was fattening."

She shakes her head.

"Anyway chaton, continue." She says with a smile.

"So, when I started taking up all those extra-curriculars, I barely had time to do anything at all. I had something to do every single day. But by 5, I was done, and I could do as I pleased. That meant I could have a friend over."

I sighed.

"My mom knew the mother of the girl, and they were a really wealthy family, so naturally my father found it beneficial for the two of us to be friends. When mom died, he used to invite her over every single day. I don't know whether he thought it was good for me to have a distraction or if he just wanted to have good relations with her wealthy father, but regardless, she was always here. And she was my best friend. There were a whole lot of faults in her, but I always overlooked them, because she was my only friend. Being home-schooled meant that I knew nobody. And since I was hardly out of the house, I had never made any new friends."

I feel nervous now.

"So when we were 12, I had a broad knowledge about the world. Having done the curriculum for all the grades up to final year, I knew about…Well…I knew about things. One day, she was late. I was home alone as usual after the tutor left, and I decided to walk around. I entered my father's study and we have a big picture of my mum. It was slightly off the wall. So when I was about to push it back, I realized that there was a space behind it. When I pulled the painting back, I found a safe. At first I thought it was just a safe for money or something…but then I remembered that Father actually had his own vault for money. It was strange that he hid the safe behind a picture of my mother…Let's say I was a curious cat."

I take a deep breath.

"I decided to break into it."

Her eyes widen.

"I didn't know how to at first, but after a bit of snooping, I found a locket with a date encrypted on the inside. And when I used the date as the code for the safe, it worked…When I opened the safe I found some weird items…But one thing caught my eye. It was this weird peacock brooch. I remembered my mother wearing it a lot…So, I took it."

"You took it?" She asks.

"Yeah, but I heard a car pulling up, when I looked outside I realized it was my friend's car,when I ran out to meet her, I tripped."

"Oh no…"

I feel a bit scared now. I don't like remembering that day…

I take another breath.

"And the brooch fell."

I swallow.

"And then her car ran over it."

She gasps.

I look down.

"So she steps out, and asks me why I screamed. I hurried to pick up the pieces, but it was completely crushed. It was irreparable…And it was irreplaceable. My mom loved that brooch.I knew she did. It was one of the few material things that she adored.I don't think I ever remember her taking it off."

Her eyebrows furrow.

"Oh Chat I'm sorry." She says, rubbing my hand.

"…So I took the pieces up to my room. And she asked what I was doing. At the time, I still had an innocent mindset. I thought telling her would help me…But…"

I feel sick.

It seems Marinette feels the same as she downs the entire last bottle of water.

"But?"

"But I was wrong."

I look down at her hand, fiddling with her fingers.

Her expression morphs into a confused, worried expression.

"We came up to my room. And I was frantic. She was in a foul mood. I tried to fix it but it wasn't fixable. She started behaving weirdly. I mean, she was always weird, but this was something else."

"What do you mean?.." She asks with a frown.

I purse my lips.

What was the best way to say you were being raped without it sounding as awful as it did?

Was there any way at all?

"She had been trying to make flirtatious advances on me before…I was aware that she was going to be in junior year soon, so from what I read her behavior was typical pubescent behavior."

Marinette's eyes widen.

"But on that day I guess she got tired of me always pushing her away. So she pushed me away from the table…"

I feel anxious.

"And she starts taunting me. I didn't get what she was saying. I was still thinking about how to fix the brooch. So I ignored her and decided to get back to what I was doing. She wouldn't have that though." I say.

Marinette looks at me worriedly, her eyes are still wide.

"So she pulled it away from me. And she said…"

I feel scared of facing this.

I don't think I want to face this.

No, I know don't want to face it.

…But I face it all the time in my nightmares.

It plagues me.

It rips me apart.

It tortures me.

"She said if I don't sleep with her she'll tell my dad what I did."

There.

I said it.

I feel myself shaking a little. I'm so pathetic. How can a memory frighten me so much?

Marinette is looking at me as if someone had just killed a puppy in front of her.

Her mouth is open.

Her eyes are wide.

And if her unyielding grip on my hand was anything to go by, then I'd say it's safe to assume that she was in a state of shock.

I try to continue.

My voice sounds strange, even to my ears.

"So she tripped me. And I fell onto my bed. That bed over there." I flicked my eyes to the bed.

"I've never got it changed because…Well I'll get to that soon."

I take a shaky breath.

"I think I was shocked at first. I was looking at someone I considered as a sister, and she was on top of me, forcing me to do something I would never have even considered till I was married." I look away from her and gulp.

"…So you…You were…"

I give a jerky nod.

She's quiet.

I decide to go on. Hell, I've already started, why stop now?

"She told me she refused to let me wear any protection, and I was too shocked to realize that she didn't take any contraceptives either. I just remember her doing something and for some reason, she was much stronger than I was. I felt disturbed. I knew what was happening…I just didn't understand why it was happening."

I can't bear to look up, so I don't. I try to concentrate on my words.

"I decided to lie as still as I possibly could. Whining just annoyed her. Moving gave her the wrong idea. So I just cried."

I reach for the Marinette plushy and hold it tightly, I shift so that my back rests on the arm of the long leather couch.

"After that she left the room, with a waddle. I just lay there, confused. And hurt. Most of all betrayed." I sigh.

My ears are bleary.

I think I'm handling this quiet well.

"I thought it was over then. I thought that it was a once off thing and that maybe we could pretend it never happened. My dad thought the brooch was stolen. He had then fired all the personnel in the house. He was devastated. I was too scared to say anything… But not much later, when she visited again, I found myself trapped under her and helpless…Over time it began to happen more and more frequently. At a point she forced me to actually…be active in it. That happened for two years. Almost every day. I found myself perfecting withdrawal." I say with a nervous laugh.

I still can't look up at her. I instead stare at my plushy.

I don't like how weak my voice sounds.

"But then one day, when I was about 14, I got to a point where I couldn't handle it anymore, my anxiety attacks were getting so bad that I could barely even study, so I decided to tell her that I wouldn't do that anymore. At that point I was stronger than her.I knew I could easily throw her off. So I was about to confront her. Just before I did however,I got my powers. I didn't know what my powers did though…I told her she could tell my father about the brooch. I was at a point where I'd rather face my father than being continously raped by her." I take another calming breath.

"She said that if I told anyone about it…She'd tell the world that I was the one who raped _her."_

I hear Marinette gasp.

I still can't look up.

I stare at the Marinette plushy that I'm holding to my chest.

Suddenly, a pair of dainty hands take mini Marinette away.

I watch as Marinette places the plushy behind her. I'm scared to meet her eyes.

She walks a bit closer to me on the sofa on her knees, her hands are clasped together in front of her chest.

Suddenly my head is being pulled towards her chest. She's holding me very tightly.I can't help sigh in relief and encircle her waist.

She places her head on top of mine.

I take another breath.

"If that happened, my father would lose everything he worked so hard to achieve. He would hate me even more than he does. Everyone would be so disgusted, disappointed. I would be humiliated. I would never live a normal life. But that isn't what scares me. I don't want my father would be ruined. He's worked so hard. He does everything perfectly, it doesn't matter if he's never around or if he can't even look at me. I will always care about him. And if this had to come to light, everyone would believe her. Nobody would ever believe me. Not even him"

"Chat listen to me, that doesn't matter. What matters is that that person goes to jail. She has to go to jail Chat." She says with a shaky voice.

"Even if I did get her to jail, trust me when I say she can get out easily."

"Then tell ME who she is and I'LL deal with her! We'll prove her to be guilty!" She says suddenly.

I shake my head.

"It's not that simple princess."

"Chat this is serious! How could you live your life like this? First of all you're starved, you eat less than most dieting girls that I know, and you're forced to be perfect, you're forced to study more than you should, you're being asked to live in isolation, your father is treating you like utter shit, you were being raped and you think that it's just okay to keep living that way?" She says, her hold tightens. I can feel her tears fall into my hair.

She's quiet for a moment.

"Chat…You said she said no contraceptives…"

I grit my teeth.

"Has she ever gotten…"She trails off.

"…Yes. I think she's kept one of the fetuses."

"One of them?!There was more than one?"

I don't know what to say.

"There was only one that I knew about…But I don't believe that sleeping with someone for six years can only result in one pregnancy…"

Marinette gasps.

"Six years…It…It started when you were twelve…But you're eighteen…Chat…She's still raping you today?!"She suddenly shrieks holding me at a distance. She forces me to look into her eyes.

"Chat answer me!" She says.

I just stare back at her. More tears fall from her eyes.

She grits her teeth.

"You mean to tell me, after all this time, even though you're Chat Noir…You still haven't stopped her?"

"I scratched her once…"

Marinette's nostrils flare and I blink up at her.

"You scratched her once…That's just perfect. Okay. So how long ago did she last rape you?" She asks lowly.

I wince at how she says it.

"The day you made the plushies."

She closes her eyes.

"That was a few days ago." She says and looks away from me.

"Chat, why don't you just move away? It's not running. It's surviving."

"I can't."

"Why not."

"Let's say I have a very obvious face in Europe…"

Marinette snarls.

"Then go to Madagascar! Or Africa! Or Japan! Somewhere other than Europe! Chat you can't be a puppet all your life."

"I'm not a puppet, I mean the police can't control me." I reason.

She grabs my face.

"That is something else entirely Chat!" She says.

"But I don't want to leave…"

"Why? Why didn't you leave before?"

That was a good question. Why didn't I leave before?

I had enough money.

I could start afresh somewhere else.

I think the problem lay in my own mind.

I was sick. I didn't allow myself to leave.

I don't want to leave until I destroy the lives of everyone who's contributed to my harsh existence.

But now…

Now I don't want to leave for another reason entirely…

It has something to do with a beautiful part-chinese woman with bluebell eyes.

"Because I want to destroy Paris."

"What have they done to you?"

"They never cared!" I say.

She looks at me shocked as I raise my voice.

"I had to deal with this on my own. I had to fight this myself. FOR SIX YEARS. Nobody ever reached out. They were everywhere. None of my tutors. None of my butlers. They all knew how my father overworked me! None of the models I've met even acknowledged me. Nobody ever did! Everyone just wants something, they all take something. Maybe I'm wrong for wanting them to suffer, but it was everyone in this Goddamned city who contributed to making me this way. If you knew who I was it would make sense princess." I sigh.

"Take my word for it when I say they're _all_ responsible for the monster they created."

She's quiet for a moment before she pulls me slowly back to her chest.

"I don't think you're a monster Chat."

I relax against her chest.

"You're different."

She runs her hand through my hair. It's comforting.

"Is that good or bad?"

"Well I think it's good ,but if something happens to your again or if you disappear then whatever humanity that I have left in me will be gone."

"Nothing will happen to me though. I think you've scared the males of Paris enough. I don't think any females in Paris will be tampered with for a long time." She says.

"Even so…I won't let any more harm come to you ever again."

"I wish I could say the same for you chaton…"She rubs her face onto my hair.

She knew my story now.

I can't believe I said it out loud.

I haven't told her how much it has actually affected me… she knows the gist of it, not the depth.

I can't let out all my emotions, I don't want to scare her with one of my anxiety attacks.

I've already said much too much.

I let one of my hands play with some of her hair as I lay in this sitting position with my head on her chest.

There was something relieving about having someone hold me like this, with care.

"Thank you, princess." I say, still holding her, but as she shifts a bit, she loses her balance and I'm pushed backwards onto the couches arm and she falls between my legs, onto my chest.

"Sorry! I'm a bit clumsy." She says startled.

She makes to move away but…I don't want her to go.

So I keep my arms wrapped around her waist.

She looks up at me for a moment.

"…Stay." I say.

She tilts her head, and bites her lip before relenting.

"Yes master." She says, mimicking our previous conversation. I smile into her hair.

"Good princess."

We lay in silence for a few minutes before she speaks.

"Chat…I've been meaning to talk to you about something."

I stiffen. Those words do not sound good.

"About what?"

"About your attacking of Parisians."

I frown.

"What about it..?"

"Let's make a deal."

"…a deal?"

"Yes… See, you don't want me to go out at night or be reckless, and I don't want you to attack people. So how about I stop being reckless if you stop attacking people."

"That is so not fair!" I say looking down at her.

"Neither is making me stay in my house after 5."

"But that's for your safety. Marinette I can't just stop."

"But can you try. Please? I mean I'm sacrificing something."

How am I supposed to agree?

Attacking people helped me keep my anger in check… I need to attack at least one person a week. Not to mention I still had to do a few more destructive things before exposing Chloe.

"…What if I just attack criminals."

She pauses for a moment.

"Only criminals?"

"Yes…But don't expect me to stop destroying things. I'm a still a villain despite your tethering requests."

To my surprise she smiles brightly.

"Okay that's fine, as long as nobody gets hurt."

I sigh.

This was not going to be good for my reputation.

Oh well.

My princess's safety was more important to me.

"So tomcat, we have a deal?"

I tilt my head, pausing for a moment as if contemplating her offer.

Who am I kidding, I had no other choice. It was either stop attacking people or have my princess act like the lunatic that she was and go out into the dangerous night.

"It's a deal princess." I say.

A feel a yawn coming on. She smiles lightly and rests her head on my chest.

I reach for my baton and check the time.

"11:55."I say.

"Do I really have to sleep at 12?"

"Yes, yes you do."

I reach for the box of biscuits and pull out one.

She takes it from me and shoves it into her mouth.

She instantly begins to yawn.

"Chat?" She calls sleepily.

"Yes princess?"

"Make sure I bath tomorrow."

"Okay Princess."

"Chat?"

"Yes princess?"

"You're really comfortable to sleep on."

I chuckle.

"Thank you princess."

"Chat?"

"Yes princess?"

"Even if you think nobody likes you, I just want you to know that I love you very much."

My eyes widen.

So that's what this strange feeling was.

The L word…

"Princess?"

"Chat?"

"I care about you very much too."

"That's good…Otherwise this position would be very awkward."

She yawns again.

I yawn too. A weird smile forms on my face.

I feel myself drift off.

Somebody loved me.

 **Plagg POV**

Now I get that I'm a shit talker, but I'm not a shit taker.

How long did he expect me to hold this transformation? I've been starving! The woman was asleep, and she was going to be knocked out for a long time, geez, could he not think of letting me rest during that time?

I can't hold the transformation anymore and I fly out of the ring.

I'm ready to shout at him and let him have a piece of my mind before I go off to have a piece of decadent cheese, but then…

He's asleep…With Marinette…They're being all…Holdy.

And cuddly. I feel like I'm intruding.

The words die in my throat as I take in my chosen's face.

For the first time since I've met him, he sleeps with an actual smile.

My eyes trail the line of drool that comes out of Marinette's mouth.

I sigh.

I'm gonna let him off, just this once.

I mean it!

He deserved a peaceful sleep even though he was selfish and tried to take away mine.

I still had to talk to him about what he had done today…

I sigh again.

Fine, I can talk to him about today some other time.

I can't believe what a pushover I've become.

Adrien shifts a bit and tightens his hold on the woman.

I groan. If Tikki could see me now, she'd be laughing her big red head off.

I glance at the two.

She was getting him on the right path. I could feel it.

I also feel my tummy grumble. Looks like I have some camembert to tend to.

I better get more camembert for my thoughtfulness.

 **A/N:Okay okay okay!Hold those torches back!**

 **Hey guys!I'm baaack! I suppose you need an explanation…Well let's just say my wifi has not been on and it's been such a struggle these past few weeks without internet. I'm sure a lot of you realize I haven't responded to your reviews, don't you worry. I AM going to respond.**

 **I fully intend to take advantage of this recently returned internet. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's about 15000 words. That's about 4 and a half chapters, it was exhausting…It was originally going to be 10000...But you guys deserved it.**

 **Those reviews were so beautiful guys. Thank you so so so much.**

 **Oh and a very happy belated birthday to Ghostgirl19 and Bon929!**

 **I love you all!**

 **Please REVIEW! Give me your thoughts pretty please!Ttyl!**

 **Ra Ra**


	15. Games

Adrien yawned as he awoke. Light was streaming through his windows, and it fell upon the groggy blonde.

The first thing that he noticed was that he was extremely warm. The second thing that he noticed was that there was something on top of him.

The third was that someone else was breathing evenly in the room.

Once he opened his eyes he almost gasped.

Marinette was fast asleep, practically on top of him, and clutching him as if he were a big teddy bear.

He takes in her peaceful face, and her drool marks.

It seemed that she drooled a lot.

He chuckled.

It was still early, about 8 a.m which meant that Marinette would be waking up in four hours.

"Good morning." Someone says, and his eyes dart to the pissed off kwami.

Adrien freezes, blinks a few times, and then realizes that he had forgotten to drop the transformation last night after he had promised Plagg a 12-hour rest.

"Good morning…"Adrien says sheepishly.

"Seems like you've had a good sleep." Plagg says, going to sit on top of Marinette's head.

"Yes…I did sleep well."

"Oh that must have been nice, you know who didn't have a good sleep?" Plagg asked with an innocent look, batting his non-existent lashes.

"…Urm…"

"ME! I get tired too you know, and very hungry, holding a transformation is extremely draining, kid. You can't be making me hold it for long periods one after another." Plagg says, fully intending to giving the blonde a piece of his mind.

Adrien looks down and a small pout appears as he gets scolded. His cheeks turn slightly red.

Plagg falters.

This kid was going to be the death of him.

And he was immortal so that was saying something.

He sighs.

First last night, and now this morning. He was going soft.

"I'm going to pretend yesterday never happened." He says finally after a long pause.

Adrien looks up at Plagg in shock. He'd expected an earful.

"I can see that you're…Preoccupied. I doubt that will change till she gets better."

Adrien blinks innocently at him.

Plagg exhales.

"I'm sure you know exactly how I feel about what you've done kid, it's a serious matter and not to be taken lightly. Nevertheless, I'm going to tell you that that was really reckless, kid. I don't want you ever going to that extent again, otherwise... I may _really_ have to reconsider my choice of sticking with you."

Adrien's eyes look up at Plagg in shame.

"I won't go that far again."

Plagg exhales.

Okay, he was being much too serious, but it was necessary. Fu said to allow Adrien freedom, but it was horrible what Adrien did.

Children all over Paris had seen that. What happened if they became psychologically impacted? What if Chat's behavior sparked mental sadistic-ness inside their permeable heads?

"I'm holding you to that Adrien."

Adrien nods quickly.

Plagg shakes his serious face off.

"Okay, so, I bet you want me to leave you alone to enjoy the presence of your lady friend huh?" He says with a smirk, crossing his little flipper kind of arms.

Adrien's face turns even redder as he bites his lip and blinks at the kwami.

"That would be nice…"He says averting his eyes.

"It's gonna cost you." Plagg says.

"How much."

"Twelve wheels."

"Done."

"Excellent, now remember to transform before she wakes up, kay kid? Don't want her findin' out about who you are,now do we?" Plagg says, grinning at Adrien.

Adrien smiles wryly.

"Thanks Plagg…And I'm sorry for not thinking about you last night."

Plagg looks down at Adrien, in a way that only Tikki, his closest companion, would understand was a fond way.

"I'll accept payment in three more wheels of camembert."

"I was going to give you seven more, but if you if you only want three…"

"Seven is perfect!" Plagg says sighing dreamily.

Adrien smiled.

He didn't deserve the Kwami.

He knew that.

But for some unexplainable reason, the kwami stuck with him, and he appreciated that more than the little black creature knew.

…

 **In Miami: Narrator POV, With Chloe Bourgeois**

The wicked creature woke up with a long yawn. She sniffed and opened and closed her mouth a few times. After running a hand through her hair, she got up from the king-size bed to browse through her phone.

Still no messages from those four imbeciles.

She'd expected them to have messaged her after they were done, but she had heard nothing from them at all, it had been two nights already and patience had never been one of her strong suits.

She growled.

Adrien wasn't answering her calls, and she had sent him about a hundred or so messages last night.

"Just what could be more important than _me?_ " She asked the air.

She made a mental note to give him not a second of peace once she returned to Paris.

He would pay for his insolence.

He should know better than to ignore his one and only true love, his life, his _princess._ Because that's what she was to him. His princess.

Perhaps she could add to her collection of…

She trailed off; a demented look almost began to form.

Suddenly, she realized that Sabrina had sent her 256 messages.

She rolled her eyes. What did that little pest want now? Couldn't she tell that Chloe was enjoying her lavish vacation?

"Might as well call the dunce." She says to something in her handbag.

No response.

She put the phone on loudspeaker.

"Chloe!"

"Urgh Sabrina, must you sound so disgusting so early in the morning? Not all of us can handle a banshee's call you know." Chloe says.

"…Sorry Chloe, I just wanted to check on you after what happened last night."

Chloe frowned, her lips curled in an unattractive way.

"What?" Chloe says, looking at the phone in confusion.

"What?" Sabrina asks.

Chloe growls.

"Yes 'What' you moron, tell me what happened and be quick about it."

"Well… Chat Noir destroyed your hotel."

"WHAT?!"

"Chat Noir destroyed your hotel."

"I heard you the first time idiot." Chloe hisses.

That bastard! That was her home! He…He destroyed it?!

Her clothes, her shoes!Everything she ever owned!

GONE!

"Sorry…I'll send you a link. You should look at it."

Chloe waits for a second before a link appears in her private chat with Sabrina.

She clicks on it and she sees Chat Noir running _out_ of the exhibition. He was carrying someone, and he looked to be in a lot of pain.

Okay…What did this have to deal with her hotel?

Her eyes widened.

Was that…

Was that Marinette?

No… No it couldn't be.

That woman looked dead, and she had just told those models to beat her unconscious, not kill her or anything... But it would be cool if she did die from internal bleeding or something…Just saying.

She watched as he deflected bullets and kept running at an alarmingly fast pace.

He held the body to his chest as if it were something more precious than life.

The clip ended.

"Alright, now what?" Chloe asked Sabrina.

"I'm gonna send you the link of what happened last night."

Chloe waited impatiently, clicking on the link immediately once it arrived.

" _Well good evening Paris! It's Chat Noir here! Aren't you p_ _roud of me? This is the first live broadcast I've ever done!"_

Her eyes widen at the cynical man as he laughs.

Her lips purse and her nostrils begin to flare.

" _Well for the next month it won't be my last! You see, last night, as you know, someone very dear to me was…"_

He looks up into the screen and Chloe gasps at the burning look in his eyes. It was as if he knew something. Something that would destroy her…

"… _attacked. The funniest thing has come to my knowledge…I,"_ His laugh reminded her of her own when she was taunting Adrien.

"- _was actually going to be framed for attacking this person. How funny is that?!"_

Her blood runs cold.

…She had specifically told the models to frame Chat Noir when attacking _Marinette._

That meant…

That meant that…that…

" _I was going to be accused of killing the one thing in my life that keeps me slightly human!"_

Her mouth drops open.

That little whore had affiliations with _him?!_

 _So I found the jackasses who hurt my friend. But that's not all. I found out who asked them to hurt her in the first place. Now Parisians, wouldn't you like to know the name of the person who has just made your lives a hundred times worse?"_

Fear begins to flow into her veins.

He knew. He knew that it was her. Those assholes must have ratted her out.

He knew.

He _knew._

And he was going to expose her…

" _Well I'll gladly tell you, but first, I have a little destroying to do. Inside Le Grand Paris hotel, I've hidden a bomb at each level. It's going to go off in ten minutes. Good luck to everyone in the hotel!"_

The screen turns black and she can only hear her heart beating.

Then the footage returns. He's in someone's room.

No…No wait, that bastard was in _her_ room!

He was talking but she couldn't hear him over ringing sound in her head.

 _He knew._

He was going to get her…

She barely made it out the last time…She'd been saved by a policeman back when Chat Noir was still pretty amateur at attacking. He had been laying low since in terms of targeting her.

But now…Now he had a reason to destroy her.

Her eyes flicker at the men in cages and dread fills her belly.

This couldn't be happening…

She watches as he throws them in sacks and tosses them back into the cages when he was done mutilating them. Suddenly their screams become audible.

Just hold on a moment…

As much as he knew her secret, _SHE KNEW HIS TOO._

" _And now you know…"_

She doesn't bat an eyelid as she watches him shout Cataclysm before the hotel crumbles. Her father had almost a hundred more…Everything would be replaced surely.

"… _not to touch what's mine_."

She feels a shiver run through her before she tilts her head downward.

He had it all wrong.

He thought he had gotten her, he thought he had thought of everything.

No, he was so very wrong.

 _She_ was the one who had _him_.

She knew his big secret.

She knew his weakness.

' _And you'll learn the exact same thing._ ' She thought to herself.

"Nobody knows who that girl is." Sabrina says, reminding Chloe that she's still on the line.

Sabrina was oblivious in all of this. She had to proceed with caution.

"Hmm.I wonder…Say, Sabrina, could you go down to Tom and Sabine's bakery and place an order for an extravagant cake in honor of the rebuilding of the hotel? I'm sure daddy has already started on the plans. Do it today." She says.

"Of course Chloe…Just, urm…Well Marinette closed up the Bakery for today, actually, she told her friends that she isn't going to be opening up shop for a few days because she has some sort of business to attend to…Alya posted a status saying that the Bakery would be opening again really soon. I'll place the order as soon as it does-"

Chloe smirked.

It made perfect sense. After the beating she received, she must need time to recuperate.

She cuts the call on Sabrina mid-sentence.

This would be tricky…She needed to devise a way to get to that little whore…Once she did that she could easily blackmail Chat Noir into keeping his sick mouth shut.

Yes…

If that whore meant _that_ much to that bastard then he wouldn't risk her identity and the news of her affiliation with him getting out, in fear of endangering her.

Or she could kidnap her…Lock her away…Chat Noir would keep his knowledge to himself in hope of protecting his little slut. Yes, she wouldn't give him the chance to bargain.

She can't return to Paris now…She would work her scheme from Miami, it was safer and less conspicuous.

Blackmailing Marinette would be a lost case.

That goody two shoes probably gave Chat Noir hell for his actions. If Chloe blackmailed her she would go straight to the authorities, probably even turn herself in,in retrospective of her affiliations with the criminal.

But everyone adored Marinette.

Everyone knew her.

They wouldn't just let her get locked up; they'd probably sell the case that Sweet Marinette was trying to help him stop being such a sick being and she was actually trying to do that to _protect them all_.

She scoffed.

How the hell did someone like Chat Noir find that filth interesting?

Despite his evil nature, she found him to be quite… Alluring, to say the least, and sometimes she dared to let her thoughts wander when she was having her sessions with Adrien.

Oh Adrien, her Adrikins, he must be so worried about her…

She scoffed again, okay, she was working on it.

She picked up her handbag and pulled out her Jar…

"Goodmorning."She cooed to the contents as the five of them floated in the liquid they were enveloped in.

She held the jar to her chest because she knew preserved specimens were not supposed to be moved much.

She walked to her laptop, started it and entered her password.

"Guess what Mummy is doing today. Go on, guess." She says to the jar.

"Mummy is going to get a little whore kidnapped. Or killed. Whichever. Not now of course, but before that black hairball yacks out what he knows. What do you think?"

She was met with silence.

"Yes…Kidnapping is more reasonable, then I will have something over his head. He will do what I want. Anything I want."

Something evil flashed in her eyes.

"It works on your daddy doesn't it?" She says to the jar.

She picks it up and holds it to eye level.

"It does. And it will work forever, he will love me. You'll see. You'll see…"She looks at them individually.

"Do you want individual jars?"

She is met with silence.

"I'll see what I can do."

She hums for a moment, typing something into her laptop.

Immediately, a list of every person who had been inside the Fashion Exhibit building came up on her screen.

She wasn't stupid. There's no way he wasn't in that building when her minions attacked that little slut.

She should have known he had something to do with the fashion industry…With that body he could very well be a model.

But the problem lay in the fact that almost every model had the same stature…

He'd made a big slip up _escaping_ the building, the building that was IMPOSSIBLE even for someone like him to _sneak_ _into_.

Her eyes glossed over the list of names.

She rested her hand on her jar.

"Hmmm…so he's one of these 400 people." She said, her list included the designers, seamstresses, investors, VIP's and models.

She leaned back.

Marinette wasn't as great as everyone said.

Everyone thought she was soooo cute, and soooo sweet, and soooo wonderful and perfect and kind, but she wasn't!

She was just a whore who got cushy with all the boys and sucked up to all the girls.

Oh, she was going to make her pay.

Chat Noir couldn't get to her here.

She had the freedom to attack the idiot from where she sat.

"Alright, _bastard. You wanna play? Let's play_."

She couldn't keep sending amateurs after the slut.

If she was going to do this, it needed to be co-ordinated, it needed to be as flawless as her deal with Adrien.

It needed to be… _Purrfect._

See, she could be funny too.

"You be the annoying Damsel, I'll be the villain. Oh, Chat Noir's the villain? Hmmm, well then whore, we'll see who plays it better." She says, seemingly thinking about Marinette.

She goes over to her phone, dials a number and waits.

"Didn't see you on TV. How have you been…Marcus?"

She looks at her nails.

' _Let the games begin.'_

 **A/N: Massive migraine. I have no idea what's going on guys. I wanted to write more but I really can't right now, I'm sorry.**

 **I will try and sleep it off and hopefully post the next chapter tomorrow or the next.**

 **Thank you so much for all your brilliant reviews, I will respond to each personally, I promise, but for now I feel like I'm dizzy and about to pass out.**

 **Please Review, it would mean so much to me, ttyl guys.**

 **Ra Ra**


	16. Author's Note

Hiiiiii guys!Guess who?

What a stupid question. -_-

Okay, who's ready for some dark, awfully dangerously borderline psychopathic fan fiction?!

I ammm!

So let me just give you a little update. I'm sure by now all of you realise that I happen to be a particularly dark individual. Most of my writing comes from personal thoughts, dreams and experiences.

Anywho, in real life, away from my writing I uphold a sunshine, daisy, marshmallow cuddly persona, and I try my hardest to be nice and kind to people.

But let's just say that this particular week has been agonisingly… torturous.

It started with migraines, then got to me forgetting that I had to tell my parents to pay my university deposit, then it spiralled into my weekend job boss screeching the shit out of her ass at me, and now, my boyfriend of a year and a few months decides to leave me instead of facing the issue, which was him not talking to me for days and then saying he didn't have data or Wi-Fi and then using his data to play Clash Royale instead of at least saying 'hi' regardless of the fact that we don't see each other on campus since we're in different Uni's. And no, we aren't getting back together, I have a personal rule never to go back to a person who believes I'm a choice and not a priority. Sick thing is I'm attached and so in love with that Moron …It's just painful. Oh yes, I almost forgot, for the past week my ass has been bleeding. Crude, but that's what's happening. No idea what's causing it, it's not piles. Frankly, I don't care right now, because I'm too tired to book a doctor's appointment. I'm on the verge of tears, ready to rip and annihilate anything male, and almost on the edge of insanity…Oh wait I passed that a while back, ha ha, yay.

So to sum it all up, I'm in a very sick, sadistic mood, so let's say some characters will be getting hurt veeeerrry soon.

It's a shame, *sigh* but it must be done. Not okay in the slightest, but as always, writing is my haven, so the story will not be on hold. Just please give me a bit of time to get my shit together because with the way things are now, I don't see myself posting proofread chapters, I see myself, a bowl of ice-cream, some comfy stuff for my butt, and the movie Pan's Labyrinth on.

I NEED A BETA.

Gosh, I'm an effing let down aren't I? I suck. Forgive me.

Anyway, I've ruined everyone else's day enough, now I'm just going to go seclude myself in a corner and simultaneously combust.

Have a great evening, and a fantastic Valentine's day!

Chill, I'm just messing with you, I'll update before then.

Got to go, everything hurts and I have some floodgates to let loose.

See you soon, I love you guys.

XOXO

Ra Ra


	17. Moves

For the next week, Chat took care of Marinette in the best way that he possibly could. She was as good as new and fitter than ever.

On the second day, after his talk with Plagg, he watched her for hours, just marvelling at her innocence.

His mind carefully went over the prior evenings events, and he smiled knowing that someone actually knew his deep, dark, dirty secret, and still cared about him regardless. It was an utterly humanising moment for him.

Just before she woke up however, he carried her home as sneakily as he could and tucked her in.

Marinette, feeling up to it decided to open the bakery for a few hours.

When Chat arrived at five that evening, she was pretty pissed when he forced her to go to back to bed, after multiple glasses of water, at 6pm.

His objective was to get her sleeping pattern normal that week, so that she could wake up every day at 6 and go about her normal day. He didn't want any suspicion to be drawn to her.

It was seven days later, and Marinette was overjoyed to know that she could sleep later than 6pm, it was currently 9pm.

Chat grinned at the woman as she swirled around her room excitedly, his legs were partly crossed as he sat on her chaise with his left hand on his thigh and his right hand stiff behind him, supporting his torso.

He was absolutely exhausted. All his tutors, instructors and photographers had really clamped down on him this week to make up for last week. Thankfully, for the past week they had only pushed him till 15:30, so he had enough time to check on Marinette, make her drink her water whether she wanted to or not, get her to bed, sleep for eight hours and stare at her the other four. Yes, he was an unashamed sleep stalker.

She sighed happily, dropping down beside him on the chaise. She hadn't brought up their conversation, and he was very thankful. It was hard enough talking about it the first time.

He did notice however, her slight change in demeanour; she had become much less violent towards him, and much more comforting. She had taken to petting him, and playing with his hair. To say he didn't enjoy it would be a lie. He actually began to crave it.

More often than not, she came home happy and full of ideas for new designs, and that excited smile alone was enough to shoo away his exhaustion, and as he sat beside her for the two hours that he allowed to her before forcing her to hit the hay, he noticed many things about his friend that he hadn't noticed before.

For example, she had many freckles… twenty eight from what he could see. Her hair was more black than blue. Her eyes were bluebell, and she had the most dizzying of smiles. In her sleep she drooled very much, and would sleep like a starfish if he didn't sleep next to her-Over the blanket while she slept under of course. Even when he did sleep next to her however, she ended up rolling towards him and unintentionally shoving her backside into his side. Most of the time he had to scoot more and more to the edge, but somehow, her beautiful self and her intrusive butt just followed him to whichever corner her went to.

She had a habit of shoving food into her mouth, and holding it there between her lips before remembering it was there and then eating it. Her mechanic skills were on point, he noted this after his hand got stuck in her self-made diary box, and anything she drew looked so vivid and beautiful that it almost looked like a photograph. Her brows would furrow as she drew, and sometimes her tongue would stick out. She was right handed, and her fingers had small dot-like scars from being poked many times by a needle. Her left hand would go to fiddle with something when she was thoughtful, and generally it made his way into his hair. He never made any moves to reject her addictive tendencies.

It had been a really great week if he thought about all the time that he got to spend with her, including the hours that she slept.

He smiled softly as he watched her jump up and move to stand by her model chart.

She huffed.

"This would be much easier if you told me what colour you hair was when you're not in the suit." She said giving him the evil eye.

He grinned widely.

"I suppose it would be."

"So are you going to tell me?"

"Nope."

"Urghhhh!"She groaned.

He tilted his head in amusement.

It was a cool evening, and his entertainment was being as adorable as ever. He was about to say something when all of a sudden, the lights went out. Marinette squeaked and Chat was immediately at her side.

"I think the switches tripped." She says, feeling around for Chat's arm.

Chat looks down at her for a second before pulling out his staff.( **A/N:So apparently the baton thingy is a Staff,*Shrugs* Kay wiki, just gonna take your word for it)**

He taps the screen a few times to eventually find the power box. The switch had indeed gone had been faulty for a few days now.

"Stay here." He says to her, gently unlatching her arm.

"Where are you going?" She asks, looking unseeingly at him in the dark.

"Switches…"

"But it could be an intruder!" She says, uncomfortable that he would be going to the power box alone.

"I'll come with you." She says.

"No, you will stand right here." He says,pointing to a spot on the floor and moving her to stand on top of it.

"You could get attacked, Chat."She says.

Chat snorts.

"Princess, you're reversing the roles here." He chuckles.

She huffs.

He pats her head. "I'll be right back, okay?"

She doesn't look happy, but doesn't argue.

Chat does a quick once over of her balcony trapdoor and her window before quickly slipping through her floor trapdoor.

It wasn't long before he found the box and the tripped switch. He flicks it up and the house lights up again. He walks back up the staircase, and enters Marinette's room quietly before pausing.

She stares out her room window, at the sky, and the twinkling of her hands lay splayed out high up at the top of the glass was as if she was trying to reach a star. She sighs against the glass and it turns misty. She wipes it away and continues to gaze up at the stars longingly. It had been years since she had been out late enough to actually look up and see the stars.

She loved stargazing, but it seemed that she wouldn't be able to actually go out into a meadow or her rooftop to actually lay and watch them in appreciation.

Chat looked at her and she watched as shooting star fall, she looked almost sad. He sighs.

"Lights are on princess." He says, standing next to her.

She shakes her head to clear her thoughts before smiling brightly at him.

"I noticed, took you long enough to put them on again." She said teasingly, but a frown marred his beautiful face.

Now Chat Noir was not a soft person. He was not easily persuaded, nor was he by any means a pushover. They had a deal. She said she wouldn't go outside. It was a dangerous world out there, and he knew that better than anyone…

But looking at the woman in front of him forced those unwanted feelings of tenderness to the surface. Those feelings that for some explicitly unexplainable reason made him want to bow down and worship her if that was what she wished. It was a creepy, unnerving feeling. However, it was something that he really couldn't force away.

"You want to go outside." He says. It's a solid statement, and Marinette blinks a few times.

"Not really…"She says trailing off.

"Yeah, you do." He says, tilting his head.

Marinette sighs.

"I just miss the stars."  
"Why? You see them every day." He says, trying to understand.

"I do… But it's not the same when you have to watch it through a glass window and burglar I did see them when I stayed out after crime time I was too concerned with getting back home than looking up to stargaze." She says.

Chat purses his lips, still not understanding.

"It's not a big deal, I just kind of miss normality. You know, when you could stay out late at a friend's house, and it would be safe enough to walk back. When we could trick or treat, when people were free instead of being prisoners in their own homes."

Chat blinked,now _that_ he understood.

"You want things to be the way they were before everything started changing." He says.

"I guess." She sighs before smiling.

"But I guess can't complain that much. I mean if thing's didn't change, I wouldn't have a stray cat with me." She begins, lightly punching his arm.

"So I say it's not that bad." She says.

Chat tilts his head.

"I can't say I know how it must have felt to stay out late at a friend's house, or to celebrate Halloween, nor do I understand what freedom was supposed to be like before my appearance as Chat Noir, but I can understand the feeling of wanting a bit of normality.I think normal is underrated." He says.

Marinette smiles. "It really is."

She glances out her window a final time before turning back to him.

He watches her with a thoughtful look.

"We should do something, seeing as it's the weekend. How about a game of charades? It's more fun than it sounds." She says to him.

"I prefer cat and mouse, but either way, I think we should do something else."

"Like what?"

Chat pursed his lips.

"God, if you're listening, don't make me regret this." He mutters.

"What?" Marinette asks, confused.

He just walks to her cupboard and pulls out a really warm coat of hers, along with a hat and a scarf before beckoning her over.

She appears next to him, confused as he holds her coat open so that she can slip into it.

"What are you doing?" She asks.

"It's a secret."

"A secret?"

"A secret."

"Are we going somewhere?"

"Secret."

"Is it the Eiffel tower?"

"No princess."

"Is it Notre Dame?"

"No princess."

"Is it your house?

"No, princess, it isn't."

She slips the coat on. Chat then pulls her wool hat over her head and then calmly wraps her scarf around her neck.

"Is it my kitchen?"

Chat shakes his head, and turns her around leading her up her ladder to her balcony trapdoor. Marinette stops.

"But wait…We have a deal…And you haven't attacked anyone this week…"

Well that was true. He had been lying very low since the destruction of the hotel. It had been difficult to keep his urges under control, but nonetheless, he had done it somehow.

"I know, but you're not breaking your promise if _I'm_ taking you outside." He says, picking the lock of the trapdoor.

"Besides, we won't be long at all."

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere."

Marinette huffed and gave Chat a small shove. He grins.

"Careful princess, I still haven't gotten revenge on you for your stunt the other week."He says.

Marinette waves her hand.

"Yeah yeah, good luck with that."

He chuckles, offering her his hand. She takes it and shrieks when without a warning he pulls her close and breaks into a run before jumping off her rooftop.

"You underestimate me." He says and she doesn't respond, instead choosing to hold on tighter.

She keeps her eyes closed and somehow Chat shifts her without much effort into a bridal-style hold. He nudges her head into the crook of his neck so that the biting wind doesn't maim her delicate skin.

He jumps and skids, ducks and bolts, and in a matter of 30 minutes, Marinette became accustomed to his precise movements. He landed gently every time his feet touched a surface that at times she wondered whether or not they had actually landed. His breathing wasn't laboured, but it came out in quick pants. He had to have been tired of carrying her, she was wearing quite a bit…

Still, time continued to pass, 45 minutes, then and hour, then 75 minutes. He had shifted back to holding her with one hand and began to use his staff to help cover distance.

Her musings came to a stop as soon as Chat stopped. For a moment, it seemed as if he was almost hesitant to let go off her, but he did. After being set down, Marinette opened her eyes and blinked around at the scenery.

She noticed a large, pristine lake, and a familiar lighthouse. Her mouth dropped open.

"That's…That's the old Marlborough tower by the Lake…Hameau de la Reine….We're in Versailles?" She asked in awe, looking back at him with wide eyes.

He grinned.

"I doubt any other criminals can get you from here, right?"

"You brought me to Versailles!" She suddenly exclaims and smiles brightly.

"Thank youuuu!"She says, jumping into his arms. He blushes before she lets go and runs down to the lake.

"Wow it's cleaner than the pictures!"

Chat tilts his head. "Have you not been here before princess?"

She blushes. "Well… I have never actually been out of Paris."

Chat's eyes widen a fraction and he blinks at her in surprise.

"Not Ever?"

"Never." She says,tucking hair behind her ear as she reaches down to touch the water. She looks around at the fantasy, fairy-tale like park. The lake glistens under the moonlight, and the flowers gently sway with a passing breeze.

It was so beautiful. It was more than magnificent.

Marinette knew it was common knowledge that the entirety of France was overridden with crime. That nobody dared to be out after five anymore, so she wasn't surprised when she noted that the place, though well kempt, was absolutely deserted. Criminals would come if there were people to attack, so no people meant no criminals. Paris had accidental-daredevils venturing around after hours, which made all the difference. There was too much to be done, and not all of it could be done before nightfall in Paris.

It was eerily silent.

She didn't mind though, it was an amazing place, busy or not.

"So many flowers." She says, walking and letting her fingertips delicately graze the colourful petals.

Chat just watched his princess explore,and selected the prettiest flowers that she seemed to like best as she walked around, marvelling at the place.

She squatted to look at the grass.

"It's so lush." She said.

She let her hands grab fistfuls before letting them go.

A few birds flew above them in a V-formation.

Suddenly Chat sneezed.

She turned around. He rubbed his nose with his index finger. And his eyes drooped a little. Some feathers had fallen into his hair.

"Bless you." She says and smiles softly as he sniffs. "Thank you." Chat says as he holds out his makeshift bouquet. She looks at it before looking back at him.

"Flowers? For me?"

"Of course princess, the world's most beautiful woman deserves the most beautiful flowers."

She laughs and takes the bouquet from him.

"Thank you,Chaton."She says, with a curtsy before reaching up into his hair and ruffling out the feathers. He sneezes again.

"Stupid feathers…"He mumbles with a pout.

"How come you aren't allergic to Berry?" She laughs.

"The little shit is still featherless." He says.

She just shakes her head.

"Now, would you like to go see the stars my lady?"

She gasps and looks up. The stars were indeed there. She was outside. She was seeing the stars without the fear of death.

Chat offers her his hand. She looks back at him to find him smiling gently, almost shyly at her.

"Yes," She says, taking his hand. "I would." He grins broadly at her before turning and walking along the sides of the lake. He comes to a small area where he makes a detour through tall flowers.

Marinette holds his hand tightly, and doesn't let go of her bouquet.

Soon, they're in a little circular clearing, surrounded by tall hedges, and rows upon rows of tall flowers, the colours mesmerise her and she can't help the excited look that forms on her face. She's still standing on grass.

Chat sits down on it, pulling her with him.

She complies.

She slips off her jacket, scarf and hat. It was much too hot.

Chat then slowly leans backward, so that he lays flat on his back, and she does the same.

For some reason, the stars seem closer to her, bigger and more silvery than they did in Paris. She adored it.

"Wow, Chat it's beautiful!" She exclaims.

"I agree, it certainly helps the experience that this place smells good." He says.

Marinette sighs and watches the stars as they wink down at her. It had been so long since she had done this. Everything just seemed so perfect.

She looks at the brilliant clusters, and smiles noting that there are so many of the stars that the sky is seemingly silver.

Chat lifts his gloved hand and points at something.

"That one, that's you." He says, pointing to a particularly large one, bluer than the others and a bit further from them too.

"Why do you say that?"

"You aren't a crowd follower."

She smiles.

"So that means you're that one next to me?"

"Huh?"

She points up to the star.

"Look carefully."

Sure enough, another star floats next to it. Not as big, also far away from the others.

"I see, why is that me?"

"Coz you're a stalker who follows me away from the crowd." She says, turning her head to him and grinning.

"Is that so?"

"Yes it is so." She says with a smug look.

"And this is coming from the woman who has a chart in her room dedicated to revealing my secret identity…"He says to her, turning his face to hers with a raised brow and a smirk.

She blushes.

"Tha-That's different!" She squeaks.

"If you say so princess." He says with a little smile.

Marinette huffs.

"Shut up and look at the stars." She says.

"Yes, your majesty."

"I'm going to strangle you with your tail."

"Ohhhh Rarrrr. Someone's getting feisty." He snickers, making a scratching motion.

"You're terrible." She says, rolling her eyes.

"You think I'm very cute though, don't you?"

"Nuh Uh!"

"Uh Huh."

"Nope, nuh uh, nada!"

He rolls his eyes.

"Yet you ogled me at the fashion show."

She huffs.

"You're so annoying."

"Really? I thought I was pretty A- _meow -_ zing."

She groans. "Nooooo Chat not again."She whines at him.

"You don't like my puns? What a _Cat-_ astrophe!"

"Chaaaaat!"

"What? You don't think I'm punny?"

"NO!I don't."

"That's not _furry_ nice, princess."

"Urgh!"

"Urgh? Do you also have a hairball?I hate can be rather _mangy cat_ times."

"Shush will you!"

He chuckles. "Fine, I won't speak… For _meow._ "She growls.

"That's it!" She exclaims, jumping up.

Chat snickers, and rolls away.

"I'm going to make you choke on those puns!" She says, running after him.

"Animal cruelty!"

"Then I'm going to castrate you!"

"Did you mean _Cat-_ strate?Or neuter?"

"You aren't google! Don't give me suggestions!"

"Google References? Hmmmm…"

"How dare you make a reference to Google References!"

He laughs and she runs after him at an alarming place. This was an open field however, not his room, it would be much for difficult to catch him out where he could run freely.

He decides to run through some flowers near the lake and she follows closely.

"Surrender!"

"You'll never _cat-_ ch me alive!"

"Fine, roadkill it is!" She says, yanking his tail, but in the process slipping and plunging into the lake, accidentally yanking him with her.

The water is very cold, that's the first thing she notes. She's just sinking deeper and deeper. Where did Chat go? She hadn't managed to take a breath before she went under, and she found her eyes closing.

She doesn't have time to think anything else as she's drawn up to the surface.

She inhales deeply. Chat blinks the water out of his eyes ,coughs a bit and removes the hair from her face. They both concentrate on catching their breath. "You okay?" He asks. She looks up at him and realizes with a start that she's pressed against his chest and her arms are around his neck while his arms have encircled her waist.

It seems he realized the exact same thing as he suddenly turns red.

Marinette splutters.

"T-T-This is just the best position to drown you!"

"Y-yeah, a-and like this would help me drag you down with me!" He stutters, talking about his arms wrapped around her.

"How clean is this water?" She asks, changing the subject, but not letting go…

"I have no idea…We should get out of it."

She nods and she feels him remove one of his arms to grab his staff before extending it to get them out.

Their feet touch down on the grass but neither makes an attempt to move.

"Cold." She says.

"Okay, let's get your jacket."

She gives a jerky nod and Chat does his best to walk to the clearing with Marinette still clinging to him.

Eventually, they make it there, when they do, he picks up her jacket and wraps it around her.

"Thanks she says."

He smiles. "You just had to attack me, didn't you?"

She gives him the evil eye. "Shush."

"Couldn't resist?" He snickers as he wraps her scarf around her neck.

She rolls her eyes.

"You were the one who couldn't cut back on the puns she says, dropping to sit on the grass.

He smiles toothily.

"Admit it. You like my puns."

"Never."

"Hmm." He hums and looks up at the sky.

"Aren't you cold?" She suddenly asks.

He looks at her and blinks a few times.

"I don't think I am." He says, considering that his suit was almost dry again. Marinette frowns.

"Well…"She picks up her woolen hat and pulls it over his head.

"We don't want you getting a cold." Chat blinks at her gesture a few times and watches her as she lies down again.

He shakes his head to clear his mind and decides to lie down too.

They lie in a companionable silence for a long time and watch the stars for a while.

Marinette sighs, it's a contented sigh.

"Someday I'm going to view the stars from all parts of the world."

Chat turns and leans on his side, propping up his head with one hand and tearing at the grass with his other.

"That could be fun." He says.

She nods. "I can't wait, but I have to get my degree first."

"In my opinion, your designs and seamstress skills surpasses that of professional designers." He says.

Marinette rolls her eyes.

"I still have a lot to work on." She says, fighting back a yawn.

"Well, I think you're remarkable."

She yawns and smiles dopily.

"How sweet."

She yawns again.

"Do you want to go back now princess?" Chat asks quietly.

"No, let's just stay for a little while." She says through a yawn.

Chat watches her as she fights to stay awake.

"Chat?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think one day everything will be okay again?"

Okay again?

Paris?

The place festered with crime and teeming with criminals?

"Well, not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday, yes, princess."He says.

He doesn't know why he felt to certain when he said it, but he couldn't stop the words when they began to flow out.

"That's good. 'Cause someday we need to go for icecream, during the day."

"Are you asking me on a date?"

She yawns widely.

"No, I'm subtly saying you should get me Pistachio ice-cream."

Chat chuckles and feigns a gasp.

Marinette looks almost unconscious.

"And here I was, thinking you'd finally fallen for me."

"Hmm…would that…be…bad?..." she asks, before suddenly giving into slumber.

Would that be bad…?

What was that supposed to mean?

He frowns, wanting to wake her up to get the answer but he stops himself.

He pulls some hair out of her mouth.

"It would be very bad…" he starts, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"But…I wouldn't mind."

The words slip out and his eyes widen at what he has just said.

* * *

Marinette wakes the next morning, really happy. She had gotten back into the habit of waking up at three-thirty again, and when she did, she found herself soundly in her bed with a note from Chat next to her pillow. At the time she hadn't read the note in her dazed state, but it was now 6 a.m, and she was quite awake.

She unfolded the note.

 _Dear Marinette_

 _I hope you slept well, sorry that I had to leave early, but something came up.I'll be back later. Have a great day._

 _C.N_

She frowned. That was odd. It was so…curt.

Where was the pun?

Where was his half-hearted threat?

Why did he not say 'Princess'?

This was odd.

This was very odd.

She sighed, getting out of bed and dressing for the day.

* * *

"Thank you, please come again!" She says brightly to a customer.

One of the shop attendants had called in sick. Naturally, being Marinette, she assured the woman that it was perfectly okay and that she herself would take on the shift.

It wasn't so bad, she missed working in the bakery. She met many peculiar personalities, and she loved that. Unfortunately, with the start of University, she was unable to work much.

She waved goodbye to a customer.

"Hey Marinette, all the baking is done for the day." One of the bakers say.

"Oh, thanks, Manolo!"She says to the smiling middle-aged man.

"I'll take over, you go-as-you youngsters say- Chillax." He says.

She laughs. She was just a little tired, she still had enough energy in her to work.

"No Manolo, it's alright, I got thi-"She's interrupted by the door opening. She glances towards the door and her eyes flash in recognition. She suppresses a gasp.

The young man looks around. His well-defined face looks almost too good for the bakery and she finds herself feeling self-conscious.

Their eyes meet and she holds his gaze. Slowly, a warm smile appears on his face.

"Marinette." He says, walking towards the counter and extending a hand.

He knew her name?

"Urm…Marcus Galéo, am I right?" She asks.

"Spot on." He grins. His eyes wander around for a few seconds before they look at her again. "We need to talk."

She looks at him with slightly wide eyes.

"Urm, yes of course." She says, looking back at Manolo who gestures for her to go with Marcus. She complies.

The two sit at a table in the bakery.

"Would you like something to drink? Or to snack on?" She asks.

He shakes his head.

"Sugar and I…well things aren't very sweet between us."

She forces back a gasp.

A PUN?

Was that a pun? No…No it couldn't be…

But if it were…Then things would make a whole lot of sense.

Marcus had been the one to save her on that night, when he came in, they immediately listened to him and stopped hurting her…Not only that, but not even a minute after he stormed out, she was saved by Chat…So…

It was possible that…

That…

She was talking to Chat right now.

"But I think we need to immediately start discussing the pressing matter at hand…"

She looks at him in confusion.

"I know you have affiliations with Chat Noir."

She chokes on her own saliva.

"Relax. I have not told anyone." He says.

"But the fact remains that I know about it. I promise not to tell anyone…But I just want to know why." He says to her.

She takes a breath, aware that this could just be Chat being insecure again.

"He's different."

"How so?"

"He's kinder than he seems, and he's intelligent and playful, he's hilarious at times, and he really cares."

Marcus' brows furrow before he sighs.

"This is dangerous, Marinette. Not to mention you could get into a lot of trouble."

"I know that, but he is worth the risk."

"The risk of endangering your own life?"

"Yes." She says firmly.

He sighs again.

"So that's that." He says to her before staring at her in silence.

"That's that." She says.

He remains quiet before an ashamed look forms on his face.

"Listen Marinette…I'm sorry about what they did to you…If I got there sooner…"He starts but she shakes her head.

"You got there in time. I appreciate it." She smiles.

He gazes at her before smiling too.

"Well then, you're welcome." He says with a wink and she laughs. He checks his watch. "I have to go, but I think it would be best if we stay in contact, just so I know you're not dying or being killed by that cat or anything." He says, handing her a card.

She takes it from him.

"It's been a pleasure seeing you again, less bloodied." He says, scratching the back of his neck.  
"You as well, less angry." She says sheepishly too.

They both laugh.

"Well then, good day to you M'lady." He said with a bow before turning to leave, but he turns back.

"Would you like to go out sometime? Just to the park or a café, we could have coffee or ice-cream." He says.

"I'd love that."

She stares after him.

Marcus was Chat Noir.

She knew who he was!

Who else called her My Lady? And he made puns. And he was the only one who wasn't attacked by 'Chat'. And he showed up at the right times.

It was him.

She looks at the business card.

He couldn't know that she knew. She would have to play dumb.

Her eyes glossed over the number.

If she got closer to him on both sides…

That would help a whole lot!

She grinned.

Something whispered at the back of her mind. It seemed to say she was wrong.

But she couldn't be…right? All her evidence led up to Marcus.

She sighed happily. She briefly remembered telling him that she'd like to go out for ice-cream with him, during the day.

Before he left he'd asked her to go with him for some ice-cream.

Marcus was undeniably Chat Noir.

She realized with a start though that Marcus' face looked nothing like Chat's…

Oh well, his magical suit must have changed his appearance.

She hums happily, deciding to leave the bakery to the assistants.

* * *

Adrien paced in his room.

"I don't see what's the big deal about being in love with Mar-"

Adrien turns sharply.

"I'm not!" He says in an undignified shriek.

Plagg rolls his eyes.

"Denial." He drawls out.

Adrien glares at him.

"I'm not. I just have some sort of attraction to her, that's it." Adrien says.

Plagg snorts.

"I mean, men get attracted to women all the time right? So it's just one of those things that I can get over." He says as he paces.

Plagg raises a brow.

"Are you attracted to Chloe in that way?"

Adrien stiffens.

"No."

"And what about the female models you've worked with, did you feel that you wanted to be with any of them?"

"No…"Adrien answers quietly.

"And so the conclusion that we can deduce is that you're in love wit-"

"Don't say it!" Adrien shrieks, covering his ears.

Plagg rolls his eyes again.

"I've only known her for almost a month. There's no way-"

"Fun fact, it takes a minimum of 8.2 seconds for a man to fall in lo-"

"YOU AREN'T HELPING!" Adrien says, yanking at his hair.

Plagg snickers.

"Shit. What now? What's going to happen? I can't just propose and say 'Hey princess, so we're gonna get married and have evil children, is that okay with you? Of course you'll have to live underground for safety purposes. How do you feel about a lack of vitamin D?' That would just go great." Adrien says, dropping on the sofa with a groan.

Plagg shrugs. "Sometimes you don't need vitamins to give a girl the D-"

Adrien gasps. "Where did you learn that kind of language?" He asks in utter horror.

Plagg points at the TV. Adrien's eye twitches.

"That's disgusting." He says to Plagg.

Plagg snickers. It was his first really perverted joke this century.

Adrien shakes his head.

"Anyway, off the topic of this L word situation, we need to prepare for what Chloe is planning."

"How do you know Chloe is planning something?"

Adrien raised a brow. "I threatened to expose her to all of Paris on live TV, she must know by now who my 'friend' I mentioned on the news is since she was the one who sent those men. And if that wasn't enough, she saw those shits in the hotel, she knows that I know, and she knows that Marinette is important to me. She may try and attack her again in another way."

Plagg blinks.

"Then why did you broadcast it if you knew she would target Marinette?"

"Because I will protect my princess at all costs and I need to get that thing the harshest possible sentence for what she's done to her."

"So you want her to get her a harsher sentence by enraging her so that she attacks Marinette again?"

Chat blinks a few times.

"Attacks Marinette? I won't even allow her to breathe the same air as her." He says.

"This is very risky kid. Chloe's smarter than she looks."

Adrien rubs his temples.

"I will never let any harm come to Marinette again. That's why I'm confident about my plan." He says firmly.

"I hope you are."

"I am. She's going to pay." Adrien says.

"What about what she's doing to you?" Plagg asks.

Adrien purses his lips.

"Well, I'm not sure if I can help myself without risking my identity."

"Why does Marinette get retribution then and not you?"

"Because Marinette deserves justice."

Plagg sighs.

"I'm glad you believe in justice." He says.

Adrien gives Plagg a wry smile.

"Come on loverboy, let's figure out this plan of yours then."

Adrien blushes but stays silent.

* * *

Chloe examines her nails. He should be phoning soon. Her phone rings.

There he is.

"Hello?"

"Bourgeois speaking."

"I spoke to her…"

"And?"

"I think I can get close to her…"

"Excellent."

"But My lady, I don't want to hurt her…"

"And I don't want to expose a man harbouring illegal immigrants in his home, but if I have to, then I will." She says.

He remains silent.

"Now you need to find out whether or not she knows Chat Noirs identity. If she doesn't then we can use that to our advantage, we can get her to believe you're Noir, she'll trust you, and then we attack. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mme…."

"I need you to get as close to her as possible, and she can't let Noir know that she's spending time with you. That would be all." She says, hanging up.

She grins.

Things were going according to plan.

"My move, _princess._ " She says,thinking about the little _gift_ that would be arriving at Marinette's home soon.

* * *

It was almost crime time. The assistants had all gone home. Marinette got ready to close up, but before she did, she noticed a package outside.

She didn't think much of it. It was addressed to her, but had no sender details. She brought it in and locked the door, before pressing the lockdown button. It was almost dark out and the streets were empty.

She loved opening big mail packages, so she started removing the wrapping brightly.

Chat sauntered over the rooftops and leapt up onto her balcony before starting to pick the lock. He would not let Marinette's cuteness get to him .Not today.

A tiny boom followed by a petrified scream made him freeze.

He gasped. It was Marinette screaming!

He opened the lock and darted down the stairs, skidding into the bakery to find a sticky, smelly red substance covering most of the surfaces, and Marinette. She looked pale as she stood pressed against the wall.

Chat rushed towards her.

"Princess? Marinette? Are you okay?" He grabs her and checks for injuries but he finds none. She lifts a shaky finger to point at the box on the table. He follows her finger and frowns. A strange, mewling, meowing kind of song plays, it sounds cute. He gently touches her face, noticing her saucer like eyes before going to the box.

Inside laid the heads of several black cats with green eyes. The eyes had several toothpicks skewered into them. The rest of their limbs lay in containers. The remains of the blood bomb lay in bits and pieces.

He picks up a head and examines it.

There was no larvae or insects eating at the flesh, in fact it was quite fresh, so these cats must have been killed today.

He looks at Marinette who looks ready to faint.

He places the head down and looks at her with concerned eyes.

The threat was clearly for him.

She's visibly shaking, and it seems she can't take any more of the scene as she doubles over and begins to vomit on the floor, thankfully not messing herself.

"Shit." Chat says, dropping to his knees and steadying her.

He rubs circles on her back, and when she's done, he wastes no time in running to get her some water. She just sits there stunned.

Chat looks around at the scene.

"Let's get you cleaned up." He says, moving to pick her up.

She just stares at the box and lays limp as Chat carries her.

It seemed she was in a state of shock.

Chat feels his anger begin to flare up. How dare that thing do this to Marinette?

Though he had given cat's a bad name, Marinette still adored them. She had at least twenty items in her room that were cat related.

He seats her on her table and turns to get water and a towel, but as he does, his eye catches sight of something in her clenched fist. It's a piece of paper. He glances up at her before looking back at her fist. Gently, he tries to pry her hand open, but she's stiff. Eventually he slips it out and unfolds it.

His nostrils flare as he reads it.

' _Game on Purrrrincess...You're next.'_

It was a pun. It was Marinette's turn to make a move, but it also meant that she would have the same fate as those cats.

Of all the sick ways of making a point, this was the absolute worst.

He crumpled the note.

It seemed Chloe had moved faster than he had anticipated.

He held Marinette's face.

"Princess, I won't let this person hurt you." He tries to tell her.

She doesn't seem to hear him. Instead her head falls forward onto his chest, and she cries.

Chat doesn't know what to say.

So he just lets her cry until she falls asleep, uttering apologies and petting her hair.

 **A/N: I have one thing to say(Unlike kitty over there):**

 **rara_erza_heartfilia**

 **I got instagram!Anywhoooo, guess whos back,back again, Rara's back,tell a friend!YOU LIKE HAVE TO FOLLOW ME! Go Go Go!**

 **\\(ToT)/**

 **Hey guys!It's me!Noooo, I'm not dead, and yessss I posted after Valentine's day, unfortunately, I was busy mourning the death of my ability to love a person romantically ever again, I KID I KID!Seriously, though, that stuffs dangerous.**

 **Firstly I want to thank EVERYONE who took the time to review, support me,PM and speak to me. I feel I may have done something particularly fatal if I didn't have you guys. I'm so so sooo sorry for my… depressing note. Forgive me…Also on the topic of the note, sorry if I upset some people who were waiting for an update but had to see that instead. I know it's my personal life and shit and you felt that I was annoying, but damn guys, would you rather have me not explain and then just disappear and not ever update again?**

 **I honestly felt it was better if you knew what shit was going down rather than sit there wondering if I would actually continue.**

 **Anywho, guys thank you so much. I know I haven't responded to the reviews or PM's but believe me when I say University is time-consuming. I wake up at 4 am and get home but 6 pm. It's exhausting. Nevertheless, I will try!**

 **Now the rating. I'M NOT GOING TO INCLUDE ANY RAPE SCENES…But I feel we're really pushing the T rating her, tell me what you think should be done.**

 **Anyway, I have work tomor-... Today, 9 until midnight so I'm gonna take a catnap.**

 **I love you all so so so so soooooo much btw!**

 **Thank you for reading!PLEASE REVIEW!**

 **XOXO**

 **Ra Ra**


	18. Nausea

Chat paced around Marinette's room. The bluenette has fallen asleep from exhaustion due to her crying. And that pissed Chat off. Not because she was asleep, but because the brutality of what Chloe had done was affecting her very much.

He snarled to himself. Right now he just wanted to go out into the streets of Paris and find some unsuspecting moron and disembowel him and maybe make the person eat their ears if their oesophagus was still functiona-

He smacked his forehead.

He had been doing so well. He hadn't attacked anyone this week and now the craving was kicking in.

He pursed his lips.

There was a deal made.

Marinette turned and flung her arm off the bed. Chat sighed. She was too innocent and warm-hearted to fend against someone like Chloe, he slinked up to her bed and sat down to play with her hair absentmindedly.

He had planned to go through with part two of his plan to expose Chloe on live television, but with the recent developments, he needed to be a lot more cautious.

Marinette shifted and her face turned so that her cheek lay on Chat's palm. He watched her with furrowed brows.

What he was doing was certainly not safe, not for Plagg, not for Marinette, and not for him.

But something needed to be done.

And it needed to be done immediately.

He leaned forward and nuzzled Marinette's hair before giving her a gentle kiss on her forehead and extracting his hand.

Quietly, he exited her room and walked cautiously to the kitchen. Once there, he looked around with a frown. What an absolute _cat-_ astrophe.

He groaned. This was not the time for making puns.

This was the time for cleaning, then plotting. His eyes trailed the lines of blood along the walls. It was beginning to stink.

I blinked a few times before stepping further into the kitchen.

It seemed that Chloe was unaware that he could be quite sadistic when he wanted to be as well. She wasn't the only psychopath in Paris, and she was most certainly not the worst. If there was one thing he knew for certain, it was that everyone had that one breaking factor.

That little weak-point.

It usually came in the form of something unexpected, and Chat knew that Chloe had one too.

Perhaps it came in the form of a blonde, green-eyed model.

He had a basic outline of what he had to do, but it required a whole lot of work, excellent editing, and a script.

Yes, a script would most definitely be mandatory.

He stepped towards the counter, almost tentatively, and looked at the kitten heads. He ran a hand through his hair and glanced around at the walls once more, disgusted at how she had killed them and then further humiliated them by skewering their eyes. He closed his own eyes.

It would only be right if they had a proper burial, but first, they needed retribution. He looked at the blood once again, a vivid plan forming in his mind.

It would probably be the most reckless thing that he had ever done in his entire life.

And Marinette would never let him hear the end of it.

But this would be over soon.

He cricked his neck.

"My turn."

* * *

Chat looked at the mini-fridge in his room one last time.

"Plagg, detransform me."

Plagg zipped out of the ring.

"Oh no, hell no." He says as soon as he comes out,

Adrien looks at him innocently.

"Don't give me that innocent kitten look. I can see right through those green eyes."

Adrien smiles sheepishly.

"Well nobody is going to get hurt this time. I promise." he says.

Plagg narrows his brows.

"Let me guess. This is one of those, back away and nobody gets hurt schemes, right?"

"Weeeeeellll, something like that…"

Plagg stares at Adrien.

"What are you hiding?"

"I thought you could see right through these green eyes." Adrien snickers and Plagg reaches out to smack him upside the head.

Adrien pouts. "It's nothing major Plagg."

Plagg flops down onto Adrien's pillow with a groan.

"Kid, what am I going to do with you?" He says.

Adrien sits on the bed and cuddles with his mini-Marinette, it calmed him.

"Today's mission will probably take a lot of your energy, so you should probably get some cheese and then rest."

Plagg perks up at the mention of cheese.

Adrien hands him a wheel and steps away from the bed, his mind beginning to plan for the script for later.

"Adrien…What are you planning?" Plagg asks again. Adrien snaps out of his daze and looks into Plagg's eyes.

"Nothing bad, Plagg, honestly, I'm serious when I say that."

Plagg tilts his head.

"Being serious is not the same as being responsible." He says.

"Being responsible doesn't always ensure results."

Plagg looked at his cheese. He had to admit, the kid had a point.

He himself was doing the same thing, wasn't he?

Wasn't he being irresponsible by giving Chat freedom? Honestly, he was the most irresponsible Kwami ever.

"I guess so…Nice touch with the Angelicas, white Dittanies, Gardenias, Jasmines, Blue Violets, and tulips." he finds himself saying.

Adrien's face turns red. "They're just flowers…"

"Just flowers? Well, some of my kittens have been horticulturists and lovers of symbolism so I know those types aren't _just flowers._ "

Adrien groans.

"I noticed you didn't get anything red."

"I don't think she's going to like the color red ever again."

"He hee, ohhh I wouldn't bet on that if I were you." Plagg says more to himself with a small smirk.

"What was that?"

"Oh, I was just saying she's going to reeeeeeally hate black and red, yuppp."

Adrien rubs his cheek.

"I'm going to do something very weird today."

"And that is?"

"I'm going to kidnap Adrien Agreste."

* * *

Marinette woke up with a massive headache. Her eyes hurt a whole lot and she didn't know why…

Oh wait, she did.

She sat up in alarm. Someone was after her. It was still dark outside. She looked to her right and noticed a bottle of water, a few painkillers and an elegantly written note. She tilted her head, reaching her hand out to the note first.

' _Goodmorning Princess_

 _I trust that you know what the medication is for. Please take it. Drink all the water. Today I'm going to do something...A live broadcast, now before you start freaking out, don't worry, I'm not actually going to hurt anyone…But it may be slightly traumatic. I promise to explain everything afterward, okay? Just when you see it, don't panic…_

 _Now go eat some breakfast (heat it up) and have a brilliant Saturday, see you soon._

 _Claws out_

 _P.s ., if you think it tastes disgusting, spit it out, okay?_

 _C.N_

Marinette's lips curled into an absentminded smile before she realised that he was doing another broadcast today.

He asked her not to panic or freak out. What was that cat planning?

She took a deep breath.

Chat wouldn't lie to her, so if he said nobody would be getting hurt then nobody would be getting hurt.

Her head gave an uncomfortable throb. She winced and reached out for the tablets, popped them and downed the rest of her water.

She slowly climbed down her stairs and went to go check on her favorite bird.

Berry chirped a bit.

"Goodmorning, Cuteness, looks like the alley cat made breakfast, wanna check it out?" She cooed to the little bird who now had a few feathers.

He chirped and she smiled, reaching down and scooping him up.

Ten minutes later, after washing up and feeding Berry, she stood on the threshold of her kitchen. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably at the thought of last night's events and images flashed in her mind.

She took a deep breath. She doubted that Chat cleaned it up. There was much too much, and from what she knew about the model, he had people at his beck and call, he probably never had to clean in his life.

She sniffed and took a deep breath. She could do this. Her eyes screwed shut as she got ready to move.

She boldly stepped into the kitchen and slowly opened her eyes, but they were not met with what she expected. Her mouth dropped open a little as she took in the spotless kitchen and the multiple bouquets of flowers. Berry looked around quietly.

The kitchen smelled fresh and floral, and the flowers made everything so beautiful.

Oh she was such an idiot. Of course Chat wouldn't leave her alone to face all of that. She smiled, touching the flowers, she hadn't seen some of them in Paris before, did he fly them in or something?

He was the sweetest.

She looked at the island and noticed a plate covered with foil. She uncovered it and grinned at the huge stack of pancakes, each looked perfectly golden.

Next to the plate was a little jug of syrup, a smaller plate, a knife and fork with a little napkin. She looked around the kitchen only to see a note on the fridge, written in bold saying: OPEN THE FRIDGE…AND THE MICROWAVE.

She giggled, walking up to the fridge, she opened it and found a jug of what seemed to be a berry smoothie, and next to it was an empty glass with a sugar dipped rim. She laughed, okay, he was good with presentation, he deserved praise for that.

She took them out, placed them down on the island, grinned broadly and walked up to the microwave. She opened it and peaked inside.

She couldn't contain her laughter and Berry tilted his head too as they took in the dozen of off-shaped croissants with a note stuck on the inner door of the microwave saying: I tried and failed miserably.

A sad kitty face was drawn.

Marinette ran her hand through her hair.

"OhChat , you absolute weirdo." She said fondly, before beginning to laugh again.

* * *

Adrien yawned, he hadn't slept last night and everything hurt, but his script was finally done.

It was only 9 so he could perhaps sleep till two and broadcast at 6.

That would really help.

Plagg looked up from his twelfth wheel of Camembert.

"You look terrible." He says.

"Gee, thanks Plagg."

"No seriously kid, are you coming down with something?"

"I don't think so…"

"Your eyes look a bit red." Plagg says.

"Yours look a bit too green." Adrien says, rolling his eyes.

"And your skin looks all yucky and pasty."

"And you have some camembert stuck to your fur…"

"And you're shivering."

"Am not."

"Are too."

Adrien groans and stands up, a little shakily.

"Doesn't matter, I have things to do."

"Plagg, transform me."

Plagg squeaks as he gets sucked into the ring.

Adrien instantly felt a bit better. He stretched and looked out into the streets. It was a dull day. He grinned and jumped out the window and began to make his way towards the News station.

Once there he throws the doors open. All eyes fall on him, and fear becomes etched on everyone's faces. Chat Noir had not attacked anyone recently, and now Paris was on high alert. They knew it was only a matter of time before he did.

He smiled as cynically as ever, sauntering in.

"Good morning." He says to a man holding a stack of pages. The man steps back and trembles uncontrollably.

Everyone tries to get away from him as he walks to the broadcasting section.

"I need a camera. And a good one at that. Something I can…Record with."

His eyes flicker around as the camera crew scramble around trying to find something.

A scrawny looking boy shakily hands him a camera.

"These two a-a-are the b-b-best, sir."

"It better be, or I'll be having skinny stutterer for dinner." The boy looks ready to faint.

Chat looks around for the Make-up room.

"Alright, everyone face the wall. Move."

Nobody wastes any time, and within seconds everyone is at the wall.

"All eyes closed. If I see anyone's eyes open, I will claw them out, don't test me."

And nobody did.

He slinks towards the make-up section, finding an assortment of items. He selects several and walks away.

"See you soon." He says as he walks out.

Once out of the station, he returns the items to his room.

Dead Cat heads and their blood, Check.

Materials, Check.

Gag, Check.

Script, Check.

Camera, Check.

Secretly Stolen Medical Records of Chloe Bourgeois, double Check.

So now he just needed to check his old secret hideaway and also steal some very interesting preserved specimens.

Hideaway first. He grabs his mini-Marinette. He found that things were better when he had his lucky charm, or a miniature version of her, he would place mini-Marinette in his hideaway so it would be less lonely after he got back later…

Chat jumped out of his window again, about to dash off when he was hit with a spur of dizziness.

He held his head. "Urgh." He said, holding his head, staggering into a wall. He crouched down in the shadows for a moment. He did not feel good at all.

It could have been because he had forgotten to eat anything today, and yesterday, and the day before. It could have been because he hadn't slept last night and the night before that. It could have been because he was about to do something that could potentially ruin him forever.

But in that moment, he didn't understand what was happening, he just knew that he was about to faint. He tries to calm himself down, but a wave of nausea hits him.

"Dude are you…"Someone starts. His head shoots up and he sees a guy with glasses and a cap.

The man's eyes widen.

"Oh shit." He says, realizing he's in an alley with Chat Noir.

Chat hisses and tries to stand but he falls over.

The man's eyes widen even further.

He takes a step back but stops.

Chat looks up at him from the ground.

This was not good. He was seeing two of this guy now. He squints and recognizes the man as a friend of Marinette.

"Marinette." The man says.

Chats eyes suddenly meet the Man's eyes.

He follows the man's line of vision to the little doll in his hand.

"Shit." He cusses, holding the doll tighter.

The man stares at Chat.

"She…She said she gave it to a friend." He says, looking at the doll, his eyes calculating, suddenly his eyes widen in realization.

Chat pulls out his baton.

"I don't know who or what you're talking about."

The man stares at him. His face looks like a mix between courageous and frightened.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng. This high. Half-French, half-Asian. Got saved by Chat Noir according to Sabrina's father from a rapist who got into her home. Designer, who mysteriously gets sick for a week the day that Chat Noir carries a bleeding girl out of the Fashion exhibition, the girl who can't properly explain how she got home that night of the exhibition. The girl who spent days sewing THAT plush that you're holding in your hand claiming it was for a new friend of hers and has recently become infatuated with doodling black cats in her sketch pad."

Chat extends his baton into Nino's chest, trapping him on the alley wall.

"What are you getting at, four eyes?"

Nino stares at him.

Chat steps closer.

"Firstly, I don't know the hell you think you are, questioning me like you're some kind of hero. Secondly, I found this outside the Bakery, and third-"

"You're lying."

Chat is taken aback.

"Did I say you can talk?" He hisses.

"You have a blue-violet in your hair. Marinette updated her Profile picture to a picture of blue-violets in a vase in her room. Marinette doesn't buy flowers because she thinks they're too expensive-"

"-Will you stop talking about this girl? I don't know what you're talking about." Chat says through gritted teeth. He hastily removes the flower petals that had somehow gotten into his hair. On a normal day, he could get out of this slickly with an elaborate lie, but he was much too dizzy to think.

He steps away from the man who is definitely his age.

"Run away. This will be the last time I'll let someone get away Scott-free." He says, knowing he's in no condition to fight.

"You're about to faint."

"I said run-away you imbecile, what part of run and away don't you get?" Chat hisses through his teeth, clinging to his staff, using it as support.

The man looks at him, seemingly having an internal debate.

"Just answer me. Did you save Marinette? Did you destroy Chloe's hotel because Chloe and those men were all in on her attack? Are you doing these broadcasts to get revenge for Netty?"

Chat's nose twitched at hearing Marinette being called Netty.

"How dare you generalize her by calling her Netty." He growls out.

The man's mouth drops open realizing that Chat didn't deny a thing.

"I'm sorry, but I may have to dispose of you, you're much too insightful for your own good." Chat says, mustering up all his energy.

"Wait. There's no way she would let you do that to me." Nino says in horror.

"Who would tell her? Corpses don't talk." Chat says lowly.

"So it is her!" The young man exclaims.

Chat realizes his mistake. What was he supposed to do now? He knew he made a promise to Marinette but he couldn't let their secret get out. He wasn't ready to share it yet. He wanted Marinette and their secret all for himself.

Another wave of nausea hit him.

"Are they still after her? Are you protecting her every day? Is that why she doesn't go out with us anymore?"

Chat screwed his eyes shut.

This person wouldn't shut up.

"Urm, Chat Noir, sir, you look like you're about to throw up."

Chat takes a deep breath. He was getting nowhere.

Suddenly his heart lurches as he realizes he's detransforming.

The young man's eyes widen and his mouth drops open as Plagg falls to the ground, limp.

Adrien looks at Plagg and his detransformed body in horror.

He feels much less nauseous though.

"Plagg? PLAGG?" Plagg looked almost dead.

"Stupid kid, I told you that you were sick, you're anemic. AND your blood-pressure was deadly low, like fatally low. I'm sorry, I had to give you my energy so you wouldn't die, and now I feel like I have none. This was the first time I've had to do this in twelve centuries…He won't tell.I wouldn't have dropped it if I wasn't certain. He's going to be getting a kwami too eventually." Adrien looks at Plagg apologetically and pulls out the emergency camembert.

He still felt dizzy and nauseous, but he didn't feel like he would faint.

"Adrien Agreste….Adrien Agreste is Chat Noir?!"He shrieks.

Adrien tenses and looks at the man.

"Now you definitely know too much." He mutters.

The young man no longer looks afraid; instead he rushes up to Adrien and supports him.

"Whoa dude, you're like France's sweetheart, I would never have guessed-"

"You can't tell anyone." Adrien says in a panicked way.

The young man looks at him.

"You want me to withhold information that can potentially make Paris a safer place?" He asks flatly.

"You don't understand." Adrien says, trying to get away.

"We need to get you to a hospital."

"Get away from me, I know what I'm doing." He hisses, stumbling against the wall. Never had he ever felt this pathetic in his entire life. He felt so vulnerable; he was totally at this man's mercy. And that was saying something because he was facing someone like Chloe.

"I won't tell anyone because you're doing all of this for Net-"

"Her name is MARI-nette."He grits out.

"And yes, I am doing this for Marinette, and you won't understand but there's a crazy thing trying to end her and I need to destroy that thing first, I have enough to do so please just go."

He hated pleading.

The young man frowned.

"Do you know who the person after Marinette is?"

Adrien looks away and gives a jerky nod.

"Then I'll help you."

Adrien's eyes turn sharply to the man.

"She will kill me, and then she'll strangle you."

"If it's for her protection then I'm willing to die for the cause. The only thing needed for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing."  
"What the hell is wrong with you people? Are you all this reckless, first her ,now you?"

The young man scratches the back of his neck.

"Oh, it gets better, you should meet my girlfriend, Alya."

"The redhead with glasses?"

"That's her! How'd you know?"

"She was out during crime time so I was going to attack her, then Marinette hit me with a pan, broke my nose. So I met Marinette through her, technically."

"You tried to attack Alya?"

Adrien sighs.

"In my defense she looked at me, in the eyes."

"I think that's where people generally look…"The man says, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I tell her time and time again not to go out after five and she just doesn't ever listen to me." He says.

"I would go out after five if it was to see Marinette." Adrien shrugs.

"You're you dude, you look hot for a living and attack people for fun."

"It's not for fun. It's a very stimulating activity."

The man shivers.

"What do you mean by stimulating?"

Adrien's eyes widen.

"Not that kind of stimulating!"

"You said it weirdly!"

"My God, NO!I attack men, I barely do more than scratch women!"

"You could be bisexual!"

"NO! Urgh, just stop." Adrien says, mortified.

Nino picks him up again.

"Dude are you even eating, how is it that you look fit but you're this light?"

"That's personal."

"I know you're Chat Noir, I think we've passed the level of getting too personal."

Adrien tenses.

"I can't walk around like this. I have to be Chat Noir."

"Why?"

"Because I have a plan to carry out and I can't let it be ruined by having this persona being seen walking around."

"Well where are you trying to go?"

"That's also personal."

"Are all the Agreste family members like this?"

Adrien sighs,"No, they're much worse."

Plagg burps.

"Done kid."

"Perfect. Plagg, transform me."

In a flash of green he's Chat Noir.

Chat slams the man on the wall.

"Looks like I have to take you hostage."

The man looks stunned. "But I won't tell!"

"I don't trust you."

"Then trust Marinette. She trusts me. Would I ever do something that would hurt her or break her trust?"

"Friends hurt each other all the time."

"I won't jeopardize our friendship by betraying someone she cares about."

"Lies."

"I'm not! And I do really want to help you!"

"And after that's done, then what? You'd have no reason to hide my identity anymore. I plan to always be this way. I'm not becoming a hero anytime soon. So what reason would you have to harbor information about a criminal?"

"The fact that Marinette trusts you. For some reason she does. And if she trusts you and has been hiding what she knows about you then it must mean there's something redeeming about you. I trust her judgment completely."

"Words mean nothing."

"I know that, but I swear I won't do it, not unless she tells me to."

"And what if she does want to?"

"She would never betray you like that. And I doubt she knows who you are."

"Why is that?"

"If she did she'd make an extra effort to see you as much as possible in civilian form, she doesn't leave the bakery you are out all day every day."

"That's a very dumb reasoning."

"But it's the truth."

Chat grits his teeth.

What was he supposed to do now?

"I don't have time for this." He hisses.

"Then let's go do what you needed to do."

"We? There is no we."

"Dude, you still look sick, and the next person who sees who you really are may actually turn you in. I can help you."

"She wouldn't want me to get you involved."

"She'll never know, I promise."

Chat purses his lips. He was so conflicted.

But he had no other choice then to go with it. What's done was done.

He slowly backs away from the man who rubs his chest, on the place where Chat had slammed him.

"You're really strong." He says to Chat.

Chat just looks at him out of the corner of his eye.

"Jeez, dude, does the cat have your tongue now?" The man chuckles.

Chat smacks his forehead.

"I'm Nino by the way. Nino Lahiffe."He holds out his hand for Chat to shake.

Chat looks at it and back up to Nino's eyes.

Slowly he reaches out his hand to shake Nino's.

"Pleasure to be your accomplice." Nino says with a friendly grin. Chat blinks, okay, this guy was funny, he had to admit.

"Likewise." He says.

"So what are we going to be doing?"

"I was going to check my secret hideaway, but now I'm behind schedule."

"Okay, so how can I help?"

"You can't hel…"He stops, remembering something Marinette had said about Nino.

He was studying movie making, and he was apparently really good at movie make-up and editing…

"Actually I think you can."

* * *

"And that's a wrap." Nino unties Adrien.

"Thank you." Adrien says, rubbing his wrists.

"Now tell me, wasn't it a good idea to trust me?" Nino grins.

Adrien rolls his eyes. "I didn't say I trusted you."

"Come on, not even a little?"

"Not at all." Adrien says. He has hardly any energy to argue.

"I think you should eat something." Nino says.

"Later. I only have a few short hours left."

"You were talking about checking out your secret hideout. What's that about?"

"Well if I'm going to be missing, I can't just live in my own house."

"Why not live here?"

Adrien looks at him warily.

"What?" He asks in confusion.

"Stay here. I mean I live alone here. I can help with all your broadcasts. Nobody ever comes here, Alya's mum said no to Alya visiting me at my place, the guys don't ever go to each others homes, and this place is very far from your mansion. It's perfect."

"I feel like you just want to have me grounded so you can turn me in."

Nino snorts.

"Even if I did, we all are perfectly aware that you can take out at least 50 skilled officers in a matter of thirty seconds, how many times have we seen you do that already?"

Adrien purses his lips.

"Something really is wrong with you bunch."

"What do you mean?"

"You speak to me as if you've known me for years and have not seen the things I've done."

Nino rubs his camera.

"Who you are is not what you did."he says earnestly,a small gentle smile forms on his face.

He looks up at Adrien.

Adrien frowns.

"I could kill you , you know."

"You could. But something tells me you won't."

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know. It's like I know you could rip me to shreds. But something inside me says we should be friends."

"I don't like friends."

"You like Marinette."

Adrien opens his mouth to retort but Plagg flies out of his shirt.

"He doesn't just like her, he loooooooves her!"

Nino who had not seen Plagg earlier screeches at the sight of Plagg.

"Plagg!"

"What is that?!"

"My Kwami-"

"his Kwami-"

"What?"

"Huh?"

"You sound stupid-"

"Eff-sakes! The floating cat is talking!"

"Floating cat? I'm a God!"

"Of what, stinky cheese and my mini-fridge?"

"Stupid kid!"

"Plagg get out of my hair!"

"Why is its head so big!?"

"Why, you jealous that its bigger than yours?"

"PLAGG!I told you to stop watching TV!"

"Is he watching Pornog-"

"NO HE IS NOT!"

"Ohhhhhh is that what it's called?"

"Everyone shut up!" Adrien says.

Plagg and Nino look at Adrien.

"Geez kid do you wanna alert the entire city to your presence?"

Adrien's temples throb again.

"I still have a few more things to do." Adrien says rubbing his temples.

"You still haven't eaten anything at all kid."

"Yeah you should eat something-"

"I will,I will but I can't eat knowing things haven't been done. I will eat afterwards Plagg,I promise." Adrien says.

"Dude that's not healthy." Nino says with a frown.

Adrien rolls his eyes. "I know what I'm doing."

Nino stares at Adrien.

Adrien rubs his temples.

"I'm going to check my hideout."

"Bro, stay here, think about it, it will be a lot easier than having to go steal food or other things you need all the time."

"I can just buy them as Chat Noir." Adrien says.

"Kid, you know I want you to be alright but I can't keep holding your transformations for more than 12 hours, it's exhausting." Plagg reasons.

"Holding his transformation?" Nino says in confusion.

"You'll understand eventually." Plagg says, waving a flipper.

"I don't like imposing."

"You aren't. It's super dead here anyway and it would be awesome to have someone to play video games with."

Adrien frowns. This was becoming uncomfortable. The last friend before Marinette also seemed nice. And she ended up being a monster. How was he supposed to trust this Nino fellow? Sure he was cool, and was like Marinette's brother, but he didn't know if he could trust him enough to live with him.

Nino seems to pick up on Adrien's internal war.

"If you stay, I'll tell you all about Marinette."

Adrien freezes.

That was certainly a tempting offer.

"Come on loverboy."Plagg says.

"Why are you encouraging this Plagg? You said nobody should ever know about you."

"As I said, he will eventually be a miraculous wielder. I trust him completely. And by now, you should trust my judgement."

Adrien blinks at Plagg's sudden serious demeanor.

He looks back at Nino who stares at Plagg, trying to figure out what Plagg meant.

"I…"Adrien feels conflicted.

Plagg stares into his eyes.

"Trust me."He says.

Adrien blinks and sighs.

"Alright then…"He says eventually.

"Alright! Welcome to the condo!"

"Can you at least pretend to be scared of me?" Adrien groans.

"Urmmm…Oh no! Chat Noir, I'm so scared, welcome to my condo!" Nino says.

Adrien groans again.

"Anyway, let me go edit this, tweak it a bit,we'll shoot the scene for Marinette soon,and after you can go wash that blood off your face, if you need to leave or enter, you can do it through the trapdoor on the roof, the layout of the apartment is exactly like Marinette's, except I have a mini studio and she has a bakery."

Adrien nods,Nino uploads the video onto his computer, before coming back to record Adrien.

Afterwards Adrien gets ready to tie up loose ends.

"Plagg, transform me."

In a flash he's Chat Noir.

"Whoaaaa!"

"I'm still thinking about killing you."

"Oh, I mean, Ahhhhhhh I'm so scared, Chat Noir is transforming in my house!" Nino says, throwing himself on a wall.

Adrien suddenly laughs, but upon realising what he's doing, he coughs and straightens up.

"I'll be back in half an hour."

"Great, I'll make pizza."

"I don't eat pizza."

"Well Adrien Agreste isn't going to be modeling for a while, I'm pretty sure he can cheat on his diet."Nino winks.

Adrien blinks at Nino, stares for a while, picks up a camera,the medical folder and then takes off.

He was still weak, but Plagg was sharing energy with him, so he felt okay.

Somehow it was 15:00.

So much for having a nap.

He just had a few things to do…And then he couldrest, and eat, and maybe stare at Marinette if he had enough energy.

* * *

It was fairly easy getting into the Specimen Laboratory. The place was almost deserted and smelled strongly of chemical and Formalin. He had wandered through a series of hallways, and came upon one that housed vaults, private vaults containing preserved specimens.

People who didn't want their preserved specimens mixed with other ones generally got a vault, from what he knew, the Bourgeois Specimen Research and Storage Laboratory was the only Lab that did something like that.

He stared at the twelve vault doors.

One of them belonged to Chloe…

But which one?

He would have to open all.

He knew his baton had the ability to open vaults, he would just have to swipe the paw-print in front of the eye scanner.

He walked up to the first vault, swiped, watched a tiny red light turn green and let the door open.

It was a dark room, eerie looking. After a few moments, he came across several bottles on shelves, containing animal body parts.

He crinkled his nose.

Okay so it was not vault one.

Vault two contained organs.

Vault three contained what he assumed were umbilical cords.

By the time he got to vault four he didn't feel so good.

He shook his head.

"Come on Agreste, you're supposed to be a doctor, pull yourself together." He says.

After a deep breath, he swipes into vault four.

It's as eerie looking as the first, and it's quite dark. There are many shelves with large bottles on them. Expensive looking bottles, with intricate designs.

He steps into the vault. He has a bad feeling about being in here, and every inch of his being tells him to turn around and run.

But he keeps walking.

He picks up a bottle and freezes upon seeing the contents, and the label.

His eyes widen.

The label reads A.A Jr.,13 weeks.

He puts the bottle down and hastily steps back.

Clearly, it's not far back enough as he sees the multiple bottles on the shelf all saying similar things, all with the same content.

He spins around realizing just how many bottles of them there are.

Around 20.

He feels his blood run cold, and he begins to panic.

She aborted all of them.

There were so many. How was it possible to have this many?

From what he knew, there was no limit to the number of abortions a woman could have in her lifetime, and if done in a safe, sterile environment there would be no implications for the woman's health but seeing this made him frightened.

Very frightened.

He backs away and his back makes contact with a wall. He tries to control his breathing.

He knew it would be stupid to cry over children than weren't even alive, but to him, these were his children that could have been alive, regardless of whether or not their mother was a molester. They didn't ask to be created.

He shuts his eyes and tries to calm down.

How could he let this happen? He knew she wouldn't allow contraception, why didn't he get a vasectomy?

He knew the answer.

He wanted to be able to grow up and someday still have his own family.

He grits his teeth.

But these were all his. He was so selfish.

He slides down the wall.

"Not now. Not Now. Not now." He groans as he begins to have an anxiety attack.

"NO!" He says, forcing himself up.

He would not let her win.

She was the monster. Not him.

He dashed away the tears in his eyes.

He walked towards the shelves, turning to bottles so that the labels faced the opposite directions.

He takes a deepbreath, and hits record.

* * *

Chat jumps through his window.

Everything was ready. The final step lay in walking out of his home as himself. He detransforms.

"Are you sure about this, kid?" Plagg asks, a little anxious.

Adrien nods.

"Are you okay after seeing…"Plagg trails off.

"I'm alright."

Plagg gulps and goes back into Adrien's shirt.

"You said you'd eat when everything's done."

"Yes, but everything's not done."

"Adrien…"

"I will Plagg, I promise."

He ushers Plagg back into his pocket and exits his room.

"Young Master, Good Afternoon."

"Good Afternoon." He nods to one of the cleaners.

He walks throughout the house, making sure he's seen by everyone.

He enters the kitchens.

"Young Master! Are you hungry? You haven't touched any of the meals we've sent up to your room." The head chef says

"I'm fine, I've just been eating out with a friend. Speaking of which, I'm going out now."

"But Sir, it's crime time!"

"I'll be fine. Just let everyone know I'm out so if I'm not back by six, you can be worried." The chef nods frantically and runs to his intercom and starts passing the message throughout the mansion.

Adrien walks out of the mansion, ensuring he's seen leaving and once away from the mansion, he transforms and makes his way to Nino's place. As soon as he touches Nino's bed, he flops down and cuddles with his Marinette plush.

Nino looks up from the large bag of materials Chat had previously brought.

"Dude, this bag smells terrible."

"It should." Chat says with a yawn.

"Why?"

"You'll see."

Nino huffs. "I'm done with the video."

"Mmm."

"Adrien?"

"Mm."

"Are you sleeping?"

"Mm."

"Like now?"

"Mmm."

"Okay, so I wake you up at six?"

"Mm."

"Okay…You still haven't eaten. Can I make you something to drink for when you wake up?"

"Plagg, detransform me."

He detransforms.

"Please feed him."

"Yes, please feed me." Plagg says, flying up and latching onto Nino's face.

Nino blinks and cross-eyes onto Plagg.

"Sure. I'm going to make you an apple and cranberry smoothie okay?"

Adrien yawns into the pillow.

"Marinette's friends are nice." He says to himself sleepily.

* * *

"Hey bud, time to wake up."

Adrien opens one eye.

He felt even more exhausted.

Nino hands him a tall glass.

"It's not poisoned, I watched him make it." Plagg says from his position in Adrien's hair.

Adrien rubs his eyes.

He still didn't have an appetite.

"I'm not hu-"

"Kid, shut up, this will be the third day that you haven't eaten, and I'm not having it, you better down everything in that glass or we aren't going anywhere." Plagg snarls.

Nino blinks.

"Whoa, didn't think you were the responsible type." Nino says to Plagg.

"With this one I have to be." Plagg explains.

Adrien narrows his eyes at Plagg who narrows his eyes back.

"Fine!" He says exaseratedly, taking the glass and beginning to drink up.

It felt horrible, his stomach protested the smoothie as it went down. He winced. He better get this over with and then sort his health out.

"What time is it?" He asks when he's done.

"Ten minutes past six."

Adrien pulls his phone out of his pocket and switches it off.

He stands up.

"Showtime."

* * *

Marinette stares at the TV. Chat said he would be doing a live broadcast.

Just what was he going to do?

She sighs and fidgets a bit with the hem of her shorts.

"- _decrease in attacks by Chat Noir this month yet a spike in the rate of crime. It seems that criminals are taking his absence as a catalyst. Chat Noir is known to attack criminals and civilians alike, so experts have come to the conclusion that without Chat Noir to attack them, they no longer fear going out. It seems that Paris can live neither with Chat Noir nor without-"_

The person in front of the camera does not notice the black-clad villain walk to the couch behind him and drape himself across it, looking every bit like the model he was.

Marinette's eyes widen as he rolls his eyes at the reporter and slinks up behind the man.

The man looks away from the camera, to the people behind the camera. It seemed they were trying to tell him something.

He looked behind his left shoulder and Chat moved to the right. He looked behind his right and Chat moved to the left.

Chat then tapped the man's right shoulder, and when the man turned, he came face to face with Chat.

Chat tilted his head.

" _Meow."_ He says, and the man gasps before fainting.

" _It seems that Paris misses me.I'm touched. "_ Chat says, grabbing his heart.

He looks back at the camera with a crazed look.

" _But not enough."_

Marinette frowns. She would never get used to him switching from compassionate to…this.

He placed his hands behind his back and walks to the couch.

" _Dear Paris, don't blame the crime spike on me. Blame your mayor. Perhaps if he knew how to do his job, your city wouldn't give rise to any criminals…But, it has. I did warn you though that the next few weeks in Paris would be hell. Of course I knew the spike in crime would occur once I stopped attacking. But, I'm not here for 'I told you so's',no. I'm here because the person who caused your lives to be more at risk has decided that they want to risk the lives of all Parisians even further."_

He stares into the camera.

" _I'm pretty sure that the last time I broadcasted, I informed you that someone hurt my Princess. I told you that I would be doing a series of live broadcasts and eventually giving you the name of the person who has hurt her. It was not my intention to do something this…drastic and painful to all citizens…for my second broadcast, but…here we are."_

Marinette blinks at the screen, what drastic thing had he done?

" _You see, last night, My princess received a rather twisted present from her attacker, after I specifically warned them not to touch what was mine. Not only was it traumatic, but it was vile, it was cruel, it was distrurbing. Would you like to know what the attacker sent?"_

Marinette tenses up.

" _Well, you're in luck_."

Chat walks up to the large black bag he has brought with him

He pulls out the box Marinette was sent yesterday.

" _Princess, if you're watching, look away_."

Marinette coveres her mouth and looks away.

Suddenly Marinette's phone rings.

She picks up.

"Hi…yeah Alya. I'm watching it…"

" _Now, this looks like a normal box. But just watch_."

Chat opens the box and the blood bomb goes off.

Multiple screams are heard in the backround and shrieks ring throughout Paris as a splatter of blood hits the lens.

The camera is wiped. Chat is seemingly holding it now.

" _Yes, that is blood. Do you hear that music? That was in the box too, and do you want to know where that blood came from? Well, take a good look_."

Marinette keeps her eyes shut, but she can hear Alya cussing through the phone.

" _So now, we can add Animal cruelty and Emotional abuse to the list of crimes."_ Chat laughs.

" _The best part was the note. '_ _ **Game on purrrrincess. You're next**_.'"

Chat crumples the note.

" _So this is just a game for you huh? Well citizens, since this person wants to play games, then we'll play a game. By default, you all have to play too.I think it's my move now,isn't it?_ "

Chat smiles.

" _I'm going to show you what I've been getting up to. Play this clip_." He holds something in his hand. A tiny woman scrurries up and takes whatever he's holding in his hand.

Chat whistles a creepy tune as they prepare the clip.

" _Oh the clip's ready. Okay Paris, enjoy_."

He sits down.

Marinette opens her eyes.

Chat is seemingly walking through a very dark room.

He puts the camera on his face.

" _So you all may be wondering where I am and what lays in all these jars. Don't worry, you're about to find out._ "

He walks up to one of the shelves and zooms into a jar.

" _What you see here is a_ twelve-week _old_ fetus."

He goes to the next jar.

" _Oh look, another one, oh and another one, oh look another_!"

" _Oh this too, and this, oh my, this is thirteen weeks, wow another thirteen weeks, oh look a two-week old one. Oh and here's another, and another and another, and another,_ ooooooh _look, a twelve and a half week, and another two week old one_."

Marinette doesn't understand.

Obviously if he was in a fetus lab, there would be many fetuses.

He goes on and on and on, Marinette still doesn't get what he's trying to say.

" _You must be confused. Why am I showing you_ fetuses?"

He snickers.

" _Abortion is nothing out of the ordinary for women who don't want to keep their baby. But what if I told you, that all of these fetuses are the product of one woman? What if I told you that she knew this would be the product of her actions and that never stopped her from taking any precautions whatsoever? What If I told you that this woman supports pro-life and yet this is what she does behind closed doors. OOPS. Did I just reveal that my Princesses attacker is a woman? Here's the best part, you may not know this, but fetuses that are twelve weeks and over are alive. These are not fetuses. These were living babies._ "

At this point,Marinette's mouth hangs doesn't know what to say.

Chat flips open a folder.

" _None of these were misarriages,so the ones over twelve weeks,well, she chose to go against the law and abort them anyway."_

Chat reaches his hand out and grasps the almost invisible handle of a drawer, and upon closer inspection, its seen that beneath each jar, there's a drawer.

He pulls a drawer out. In it lies a few sets of clothing. Chat picks one up.

" _Now these,ladies and gentlemen,are not your normal clothing sets. These,are meant for Jars."_ He picks up what looks like a shirt and pulls it over a jar.

He looks back at the camera.

" _So she aborts them… but likes to play mother with them._ "

Chat snorts.

He looks at the camera. " _And I thought I was sick_."

The footage ends.

The live broadcast is back.

Chat walks back to the camera.

" _Now Paris, don't get me wrong. If you want to have an abortion, that's your choice. But once you do, at least have the dignity to let it be dead. It's dead. Dont taunt it. Dont play around with it like you have that right. You don't. You gave up that right_."

Chat takes a breath.

" _But that's not all I've been getting up to. You see, she thinks she can go after what's mine. She thinks she can blackmail me? That has to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard. That's not how this story goes. You don't win. You don't get to make the rules for this game. You don't get to hurt my princess and get away with it. Now Paris,this Vendetta was between me and her, but as I said, the only way this game ends is if you all play. So I've taken someone that you all love. And you won't get him back until the end of this game. You want to see who he is_?"

Marinette's heart beats frantically.

What has he done?

Who did he take?

He signals for another clip to be played.

Marinette gasps, and drops her phone.

"Oh my my My God!"She grabs her hair.

Tied to a chair,with a barely recognizable blood covered swollen face sits Adrien Agreste, his head lolling around.

" _Say Hi Adrien_!" Chat says from behind the camera, one can assume he's holding the camera.

Adrien groans and then spits out blood.

"Oh my God." Marinette says, completely forgetting about Chat telling her not to panic

" _So Adrien, how's it feel to be held captive_?"

Adrien doesn't respond.

" _I'm waiting for an answer_." Chat sing songs.

Marinette can already hear girls all throughout Paris wailing.

" _I…It…It hurts_."

Chat laughs.

" _What hurts_?"

Adrien seems to be trying his best to force the words out.

" _Everything hurts_."

" _You want to know the reason you're here?"_

"…Y-*cough*-yes."

" _Because , she needs to understand that what she does will have consequences. Not only on her. Paris will never see you again till she's behind bars ,If you mess with what's mine, then I will destroy what's yours. It's a simple concept that that creature doesn't understand._ "

" _Bu-but I have-havent done anything_."Adrien sobs out.

Chat clicks his tongue.

" _I know, but I do know this woman is probably your number one fan_ -"

" _That's not my fault_!-"  
" _Did I say you can speak?!"_

Chat can be heard clicking his fingers. Someone in a black outfit goes up to him. The person holds out a bottle of something and begins to pour it all over Adrien's face. The moment it touches his skin Adrien begins to scream and writhe and try and get it off his skin. His cry is so agonised that Marinette finds herself screaming too.

" _Kill me! Please just kill me! Just kill me!"_

" _Oh it's not that your admirer sees this she'll be after my princess,she may try and kidnap her as a retort,and that won't be happening._ "

The camera continues to video Adrien whimpering.

" _I came up with that mixture has a bit of the chilli pepper I used on those perverts._ "

Adrien whines as he tries to get loose.

" _Don't bother...You aren't getting away any time soon."_

" _Help_ …"Adrien sobs out brokenly, his head hanging.

The footage ends.

Chat snickers on the couch, the live feed is running once more.

" _It's a shame, I quite liked that shirt he was wearing, now it's all bloodied_." He laughs cynically.

" _I'm sorry I had to take your golden boy,Parisians,but what else could I do?_ "

He stands up and stands in front of the camera.

" _I'm going to make this very clear. If you ever,EVER try to hurt her again. I will kill blondie over there,and I will wring your demented neck. I will be watching, 24/7,don't think that just because you can't see me I'm not there. I'm everywhere.I warned you,but you wouldn't listen...So now, till youre exposed,everyone will suffer...There's no getting around it, you will be exposed,and I don't care if I die doing it. But you will never hurt her again. Do something,I dare you, that will look really good on your increasing list of offences...Then again, I don't think a corpse can go to jail_."

Marinette grits her teeth.

This was becoming too frightening.

Suddenly she remembers that Chat said nobody would be getting hurt. Did he lie to her?

But…but he wouldn't.

She furrowed her brows.

" _Goodnight Paris,sweet dreams_."He says with a tilted head before smashing the camera.

Marinette hugged her knees to her chest.

Alya had cut the call. She was alone.

She trusted Chat.

All evidence seemed to say that he lied in his note but she knew better. She refused to not trust him.

Chat had a reason. An explanation. She was sure of it.

He phone vibrated.

She picked it up from the floor.

She had received an email from…

 **Alleychat72**?

Her eyes widen.

' _ **Delete as soon as youre done**_.'

She frowns.

She called Chat Alley cat.

He had sent her an…email?

There was a video attached.

She pursed her lips, took a deep breath and pressed play.

Her mouth dropped open, she really needed to stop doing that.

" _Hey Marinette, Adrien Agreste here,haa ha, but you probably know that , well, I'm in on Chat Noirs plan...he told me who attacked you...Turns out its someone I know pretty well…Anyway,he's convinced that once he sees you, you're gonna throw a punch at him_."Adrien speaks calmly,wiping off the blood and guck from his face.

" _He hasn't hurt me in the slightest,and that thing he poured on me was just water with some red food colouring.I happen to be a pretty good actor,thank God for those fragrance commercials...This is corn syrup,see?_ "He swipes some 'blood' off his cheek and puts it in his mouth.

" _Cornsyrup and waterproof foundation , you ever want makeup that's indestructible,go for Mac…It just tastes awful,anyway,I'm gonna be hidden for a while, so don't worry about me...And dont be too mad at him,okay?Oh and please delete this once you've watched it,thanks Marinette!_ "

The footage ends.

She deletes the message,and a feeling of relief washes over her.

He kept his promise.

She walked up to her room.

She knew there was an explanation.

He wouldn't break his promise.

They had a deal.

These past few weeks taught her a lot about the villain.

She learned that everything she knew about him was wrong.

He was kind and compassionate and could be really cocky at times,and sometimes a bit annoying.

He was protective and he kept his promises,and he was a whole lot of fun.

He listened to her and gave her advice,and he could make the best croissants and pancakes.

And she probably shouldn't have allowed herself to let her mind wander.

And maybe she was being the dumbest girl in the world.

But it was possible, very possible, that perhaps she wasn't seeing him just as a friend anymore.

She was falling in love with him.

Her eyes widen at her realization.

She stares blankly at the wall. She was falling for a criminal.

"Now just what has got my Princess in such deep thought?"

She looks to her loft and sees Chat on her bed.

"Chat."

"Princess."

He slowly comes down the ladder. Marinette frowns.

Chat never took the ladder.

"Chat?" She asks, worriedly.

He sways.

Suddenly he covers his mouth and runs past her to the bathroom.

He begins to vomit."

"Oh my gosh!" Marinette says, running after him. His body shakes and she drops to her knees to rub his back as he empties his system.

She reaches up and fills a glass of water.

He pushes away from the toilet.

Marinette hands him the glass but he tries to push it away.

"Chat drink it." she says, forcing it to his mouth.

He winces at the amount of force but resigns.

Eventually, he tries to stand up.

"Sorry about that. There was a really horrible smoothie that I drank earlier." He says. His voice sounds scratchy.

Marinette frowns.

She reaches up and touches his forehead.

"Chat you're burning up!"

"I know , I'm glad you think I'm gorgeous." He tries to grin but winces.

Marinette leads him out of the bathroom.

Chat exhales, today was absolutely not his day.

"You need to lie down."

He's about to say something when suddenly, everything begins to swirl, and black spots blur his vision. The world turns sideways, and then everything goes black.

Marinette shrieks and catches him.

"Chat!"

He doesn't respond.

 **A/N:Aaaaahhhhh hee heee, I'm back?**

 ***Hides behind Chat Noir plush from oncoming rain of shoes and torches*. Omg, it's been so long guys!How've you all been?I've missed you!Sorry,I've been so packed out lately,I didn't mean to take this long!**

 **Did you miss me?Basically,I was focussing on me for a while,things are slowly getting better if you're wondering.**

 **But lets focus on this many things have happened.**

 **Some of you ask why I let Nino find out about Chat, remember that I've plotted the story out long ago,and him knowing about who chat really is, is a really crucial concept for one of the future scenes. I promise.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it took a lot of time to write soooo PLEASE REVIEW!I love reading your reviews, it makes me feel like this is worth writing.**

 **I'll do my best to update ASAP!**

 **Till then**

 **XOXO**

 **Ra Ra**

 **(P.s. : Instagram: rara_erza_heartfilia)**


	19. Tickle

Marinette stared at the unconscious man in her arms. He looked pale ...his body was limp.

She was terrified.

"Omigawdomigawdomigawd Chat!"

She held his face. Marinette was always good under pressure, but never before had she faced something like this. She had no idea why Chat had fainted. She couldn't take him to the hospital because the police would use it to their advantage. She didn't know if he had any illness. She knew nothing about his physical wellbeing. If she knew at least something about his health or if he had been suffering from something recently then she would have an idea how to help…

But she didn't…

She felt so useless.

"Okay, urm, okay,okay,err…"She feels his head,and to her it was unusually warm.

"I'll be back."She says before running to dampen a cloth, once squeezing it, she pushes back Chat's bangs and places it on his head.

She had a nagging suspicion that his Model diet was not enough to sustain a man of his height and age. He ate less than anyone she knew.

Marinette looked around frantically, maybe Google would know something.

* * *

Plagg screwed his eyes in pain as he tried to draw all the pain and illness away from Adrien's body.

…But it was too much.

Adrien was Anaemic, and with the diet he followed, he had hardly enough iron in him. Although he did take the supplements he was asked to, his diet plan was going to be the death of him, somehow his dietician had come up with a fairly nutritional diet plan for the model, but Adrien more often than not skipped multiple meals. He ate lesser than he should have. He hardly ever slept, and though he was sleeping much more since he met Marinette, with his schedule he should have been sleeping more.

Many things were coming into play at that moment and Plagg knew he had to do something, otherwise, he and Adrien would not make it…

His pressure was much too low, and it was never good to be unconscious when it was that low.

He noted that more often than not, he was eating more Camembert for the purpose of sharing the energy it gave him with Adrien rather than for the purpose of enjoying it.

Sure, he was immortal, but even immortals felt pain, and got hurt and if it got bad enough, they would be out of commission for a very long time. He hated when that happened. It had happened to Duusu.

And Plagg knew that Master was keeping her separate from the others ever since…

It was rumoured…that Duusu had attempted Reversal.

Reversal was a complicated, fine art that only two kwami's were able to perform, namely Tikki and himself as they were the strongest of all the Kwami. They were the Yin and Yang, and were capable of performing the Magic to do the Reversal.

He had done it a few times in the past, but it wasn't something that he liked doing. When a kwami performed reversal, the roles of the chosen and the kwami would be swapped.

The Chosen would be sent into the Miraculous to heal, and they would be safe, and the Kwami would take over the physical form of the chosen and would therefore be the one to take the pain that the chosen was facing or would face. When he did it, he became as vulnerable as a human.

That meant…

He could die.

Not even immortals had forever, because there was always a loophole.

Plagg sighed. At the moment Adrien's body was weaker than his. The boy needed to heal.

"Stupid annoying rebellious kid." He snarls.

He can't hear any of Adrien's thoughts.

Plagg sighs.

"Don't make me do this again…Please…"He blinks.

"I don't want to die." He says quietly.

Adrien does not respond.

Plagg swallows.

"Reversal."

* * *

Marinette's eyes widen as Chat begins to morph. His hair suddenly turns Black.

His skin slowly seemingly turns a cool charcoal colour, but upon closer inspection, she sees that it's not skin, it's a layer of glossy, silk like fur. It was smooth to perfection.

She drops her phone and stares as Chat's ears become real cat ears.

Chats body was normally tall and lean, but now it morphed into tall and muscular.

Marinette stares at Chat as he begins to look less and less like chat.

His tail that was normally a belt becomes an actual tail.

Slowly, he opens one eye.

Marinette gasps.

"Chat!" She grabs him and hugs him.

"Urgh Kid, I don't do that hugging thing, I'm not Chat, I'm Plagg." Plagg says, pushing her nose so that she goes further back with a finger.

Marinette blinks.

Plagg yawns and rolls onto his tummy, slowly stretching.

"Plagg?" She asks.

"Yes, Plagg. Now, I'm going to go raid your kitchen because lover boy has no food in his system."

Plagg jumps up and darts down her trapdoor stairs on all fours.

Marinette shrieks.

That was not normal. Not at all. What the hell just happened?

She runs down the stairs after him.

"Urm, Plagg, Sir?" She looks around, and quietly enters the kitchen.

Plagg looks at his gloves.

"Ha, I should probably modify these for that Kid." He says to himself.

He closes his eyes, opens them, and then snaps his fingers. The palms of the glove suddenly become coated in a matte looking layer.

Plagg picks up a cup.

"Much better. That kid doesn't complain enough." He muses. He looks at Marinette.

"You, pigtails, come here." Marinette blinks rapidly.

She walks towards him nervously.

He rolls his eyes.

"I'm not going to eat you, that's lover-boy's job." He snickers.

Marinette opens and closes her mouth.

"Let me see your palms."

Marinette turns her hands over and shows them to him.

Plagg pokes her palm.

"Squishy." He says, and then looks at his gloved palm.

"Okay then, feel this, does it feel like skin?" He holds out his gloved palm.

Marinette looks at it, and then at Plagg. She doesn't know what to make of this strange person, if he was a person at all that is…

He looks at her oddly as she stays in her spot.

"Well come on." He says with an eyeroll, showing his glowing green sclera

"It does." She says.

"Awesome." Plagg says with a satisfied grin which allows Marinette to see the long, cat-like canines in his mouth.

"It should come in handy." He snickers.

"Huh?"

"Oh nothing, I said I'm hungry." Plagg says, throwing open the fridge and he gasps.

"It's so…Beautiful." He says, pulling out a dome containing a whole cheesecake.

Plagg suddenly feels a massive head-rush. He grimaces but effectively masks his pain from Marinette.

He takes a deep breath then shoves a slice of cake into his mouth.

Marinette's eyes widen. Chat would never dare to eat something that sweet.

"Urm Sir…Where's Chat?" She asks.

"He's here."

"Where?"

"Here kid, here." He says, wiggling his right hand finger with the ring on it.

"Inside the ring."

"Well yes. He's too weak to be out here, so I sent him in there to heal while I fix his wreck of a body out here."

"But that's not his body…"

"Of course it's not. It's a modified version of it, but it's still essentially him, I'm just here because I need to fix all his problems and go back. Now tell me, do you have any tablets for iron deficiencies?"

"Urm yeah, my mums anaemic so I do."

"Well bring them. And some nausea and migraine tablets." Plagg says rubbing his temples.

"Chat's sick?"

"Sick? That's the understatement of the century. Now seriously, please quiet down and bring me the stuff."

Marinette can't do much more than close her mouth and hurry to get the medicine. Chat wasn't well.

Plagg runs a hand through his hair. He was a whole lot better at handling pain than Adrien was capable of, and at the moment he had a whole lot more energy that he brought with him into this body, but that didn't mean that Adrien's body was doing well at the moment.

He looks at the cheesecake.

"I will be back for you. I promise." He says to it before beginning to pull out some spinach leaves.

He looks at it with a disgusted look.

"I'm so going to kill you Adrien." He hisses, before shoving the leaf into his mouth and chewing.

He swallows and gasps for air.

"Oh shit oh shit, kill me, kill me please."He says with a disgusted look.

He knew he needed to eat it but it was so awful.

He takes a deep breath.

"Okay, I can do this."He says, picking up another leaf. He would eat the whole bag,he could definitely do it. If only there was a way to make it taste better.

Marinette returned with a bunch of tablets.

"Pigtails, do you have any camembert?"

"Camembert?"

"Yes, Camembert."

"You mean like the smelly old cheese?"

Plagg huffs.

"You humans don't understand how essential cheese is."

Marinette just scrunched up her nose, noting that he was asking for the same cheese that Chat always asked for.

Naturally, she had stocked up on the Cheese so that Chat would never run short.

"I do have it…"

"Excellent, now how good are you at making a roux?"

"Quite good, I think."

"Great, soo I'm going to need you to make some."

"Okay,if that's going to help Chat."Marinette quickly began to pull out the ingredients.

Plagg perched atop a counter in Cat-like tail flicked back and forth as his ears twitched

Marinette willed herself not to be rude, and not to ask about Chat but her curiosity was getting the best of her.

"Urm,Plagg,Sir,is Chat okay?"

"He will be."

"So he's not okay at the moment?"

"Not really, no."

"What do you mean he's inside the ring?"

"You're an inquisitive kid, no wonder lover boy and you get along so well." Plagg rolls his eyes

"Please tell me where he is,Plagg. This is really weird for me, please understand, he was just here, and then he gets sick and faints and suddenly he's gone and you're here and you could be some kind of homicidal maniac-"

"Whoa whoa whoa, homicidal?"

"-And it's frightening because now I don't see him anywhere and you say he's somewhere, but I have never even heard about you before and you expect me to trust you-"

"-never heard of me?-"

"-and you're a man with ears and a tail and fur crouched on my counter top asking for cheese and pills and eating spinach and roux's-"

"Technically I'm not eating the roux as yet-"

"-And it's extremely disconcerting because I wasn't aware that this could happen at all-"

"OKAY KID SHUSH! I already have one panicky kid and I won't handle a second. BREATHE."

Marinette stops.

"It's good to be curious, but really, you're wasting precious time, every moment you waste is painful, I'm here to get rid of…Chat's pain, but to do that I take it upon myself,and I'm doing that, and it's really a pain in the ass, and as much as I understand that you're curious, you need to remember that we don't have time for these want Chat to get better, right?So stop thinking so much and help me,the sooner you do, the sooner you can see him again."

Marinette sniffs and blinks away the tears that had unknowingly formed in her eyes. She was just so disconcerted…But she realised he was right, and she couldn't say she cared about Chat if she was being selfish and wasting 'Plagg's' time.

She nods.

"I'm going to go lie on that sofa over there, will you be fine here?"

"Yes sir." Marinette nods, determined.

"Awesome, and the name's Plagg, kid." He reminds her, patting her head before going to the couch. He sniffs the huge bag of spinach leaves and blanches.

Marinette turns on the stove and begins to cook.

Sirens can be heard throughout Paris, most likely in search of Adrien Agreste.

She turns off the stove and sees Plagg back on the counter, drinking water in a very strange way, lapping at in.

"It's done." Marinette says cooling it.

"Great, let's do this." Plagg says, grabbing the pot and a plate from the counter, Marinette squeaks and he walks past her swinging the hot pot, he plops down onto the sofa, placing the bot on the table.

He wastes no time in dropping all of the spinach into the pot and then overturning the concoction from the pot onto the plate.

Marinette watches curiously, wringing her hands.

She was feeling a really disturbing, pulling feeling in her chest and a twisting, uncomfortable feeling in her tummy.

Plagg said Chat would be okay… But what was wrong with Chat in the first place?

Come to think of it, he never ever showed any signs of vulnerability around her, only once before when he had the nightmare…But then too, it was highly unintentional.

She had gotten to know so much about him, almost everything, yet she didn't even know his medical state.

Plagg leaned his face down to the plate.

He looked at Marinette.

"Rude to stare,pigtails." Plagg snickers.

Marinette winces at being caught but turns to pace behind the sofa.

Plagg takes this as his cue to begin eating the concoction as fast as possible.

Marinette keeps her eyes on the ground, and then decides to busy herself with making him something to drink.

Looking at his appearance, he was definitely not human, and he was almost 100% feline.

The way his body moved, it was much too animalistic.

Even Chat, as graceful and cat-like as he was could not match up to the way Plagg moved.

She scratched her head, perhaps he would just like a glass of milk or cream?

She opted for a mix of cream and milk, noting that he was almost done eating. She wondered what condition Chat was in for something like this to happen…

Maybe Plagg would tell her, but she knew that even if he didn't, she would make Chat spill his guts.

Plagg burps. Marinette looked at him with a scrunched up nose. He looked full, but disgusted.

"That was horrible." He said to himself.

"Sorry Sir, have some of this, maybe it will help."

"Its Plagg kid, Plagg." He said in reminder of what he had already said countless times. He calmly takes the glass from her.

"The worst part about spinach is the aftertaste." He commented.

After downing the glass, he wipes his mouth before looking at her with a sombre expression.

"So, let's talk."

Marinette nods,anxiously. She was extremely worried and it was taking every fibre of her being not to cry on the spot.

"Don't just stand there, you're making me award." Plagg says, smacking his forehead and gesturing to the sofa across him.

Marinette sat down, wringing her hands once more, awaiting Plagg's diagnosis of Chat's condition.

"Okay Pigtails, so as you know already, Chat is a model, what you don't know is that his life is abnormally packed out. He's a model. He's expected to do this whole line of activities that are beneficial to him in no way except to impress his father which almost never actually happens. In short, he's always moving. And there's not much he can actually do about it."

With everything Plagg says, Marinette feels her eyes widen more and her jaw drop even lower.

She had never even considered the fact that Chat was just a young adult like herself and had parents who expected great things from him.

"Literally, the only time he has as a break is when he comes here after his packed out schedule for the day, and believe me, he gives new definition to the word workaholic…The problem is that even though he does everything he's asked in a flawless manner, it's not good enough and he's always pushing and working harder, and in the process he's forgetting that he's only human. He never remembers to eat. He next to never sleeps. He never takes a break and he never realises that it's much too much. He thinks he can handle it but he's not. He's deteriorating, right in front of everyone's eyes, he's just hiding it very well."

Plagg sighs.

"He has a lot of medical conditions,and believe me, they come in the worst combinations at the worst times. I won't tell you every one of them because I know he does value his privacy…But he listens to you, so you may be able to help both him and I, question is, will you help me?"

Marinette nods quickly, not missing a beat. Of course she would help Chat! In the short time that he had come into her life he had become her very closest companion, almost as close as Alya, he helped her so much, and he always tried his best to make her happy, even agreeing to be a living mannequin for her designs, and it was time she gave back to the person who was turning her life upside down and making her realise that she liked it better that way.

"Yes of course."

"Good, so firstly, you need to force him to eat like a normal human being." He says seriously.

"But he doesn't want to, he gets uncomfortable around sugar, and the sight of bread or rice makes him upset." Marinette says.

"Then make him comfortable with it."

Marinette groans.

"Okay okay, I'll do it, he may kill me, but I'll do it." She says.

Plagg waves his hand.

"Loverboy wouldn't lay a hand on his Princess, moving on, he needs to eat whenever he's hungry, unfortunately though, he has no idea when he should be eating, so it's up to you to make him eat whenever he's here, he has this habit of starving himself, I think it's sort of unintentional, I mean at first it was intentional, but then after a while he just stopped feeling hungry so he skips the meals. He's anemic, so it may be good to look up some meal plans on Foogle-"

"Google-"

"That's what I said, also, he's stopped taking some of his supplements because he thinks it's making him get fat, so he needs to start taking them, he really really needs it, and finally his insomnia, he needs to start sleeping. He has this habit of falling asleep and then waking up to stare at yooo-"Plagg quickly catches himself.

"-ouur trapdoor."

"My trapdoor?"

"Urm…Yeah he has this idea that someone's going to come in from there."

"But nobody knows it's there." Marinette reasons.

"Well he expects the unexpected."

"I'm going to do my best Plagg, I promise."

Plagg nods.

Suddenly he freezes.

"He's up."

"He's up?"Marinette asks, hoping Plagg was talking about Chat.

"Yup. He doesn't like being in the ring." Plagg snickers looking at the ring and pulling it off.

He holds it up to eye level.

Marinette stares at the ring.

"How did he go into the ring?" She questions.

"Urm magic?"

Plagg throws the ring up and down, and Marinette tenses up.

"Aren't you hurting him?" She asks worriedly.

"Nope, it's huge in the ring, just super boring and super dark...Kid, one more thing, don't ever let this ring get off his finger, okay?"

"Okay, but why?"

"Just don't, ever."

"So how come you can take it off yours?"

"Because I can." He snickers, slipping the ring back on.

He grins suddenly, sneakily.

"That eager huh? What will you give me in return?" Plagg says looking at the ring.

Marinette looks at the ring, Plagg was talking to Chat.

"How many…?"

Marinette stares at Plagg impatiently, she was eager to see Chat, and very anxious about how he was doing.

"I want 12."Plagg says.

He's quiet for a moment.

"12 or I push Marinette here outside." He winks at Marinette to indicate he was just kidding.

Plagg snickers after a minute.

"Alright, okay, I'm coming." Plagg rolls his eyes with a big grin.

"He's coming out now?" Marinette says a bit too excitedly. Plagg raises an ebony brow.

"I mean, errr, sorry to see you go, was so good meeting you." She coughs.

"I'll pretend you mean that. You kids are going to be the death of me." He says the last part more to himself before leaning back on the couch.

"See you soon pigtails." He salutes her before closing his eyes.

For a moment Marinette stares at him in confusion before suddenly, his tail once more changes into leather, and his ears become leather too. His fur disappears and his hair changes to blond. Ever so slowly, Plagg becomes Chat.

Marinette moves towards him and waits in front of his face, quietly.

Slowly he opens his eyes.

"Chat or Plagg?" She asks cautiously.

"Plagg? Princess, I have much more class than him." Chat says rolling his eyes, but suddenly he finds Marinette hauling him into a hug.

"Oh my gosh I was so worried, I thought you were dying, you moron!" She says crying into his shoulder.

Chat just tries to blink away his shock.

"Hey, don't cry." He says, a bit frightened, he really didn't mean to drop, it wasn't his intention to upset her.

Unfortunately that made her cry harder.

"Princess please don't cry, look I'm fine." He says in attempt to calm her down.

She draws back and dashes away her tears.

"No you're not! At all, like how long were you not going to tell me that you basically have no time to even pee?"

Chat has the nerve to look affronted.

"I have time to pee-"

"And Plagg told me what you've been doing…"

"Okay, what have I been doing?"

Neither of them realised the compromising position they were in,Marinette was kneeling between Chat's legs,with her left hand in his hair and the other on his neck as she looked down at him ,while he looked up at her with a puzzled expression, a tilted head and arms encircling her waist.

"Firstly, you've been staying up staring at my trapdoor when you should be sleeping."

Chat's eyebrows shoot up.

"Errrrrrrr…" Her trapdoor?

"And secondly, you have no regard for your health whatsoever." She berates.

"Why do I feel like you've flipped the table?"Chat groans.

"Don't give me that, from now on we have rules."

"Rules?"

"Rules."

"What rules?"

"Rules that you will follow."

"I don't have to conform to anything." He says in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Really? Then I guess I don't have to either." She narrows her eyes at him.

He realises what she means and growls lowly.

"Are you threatening me?"

"Yes, I am." She says back with equal malice.

They stare at each other for some time before Chat huffs.

"What kind of rules are we looking at?"

"You are going to eat three meals a day." Chat looks taken aback, it was as if she had told him that the Eiffel tower was made of plastic.

"AND you are going to sleep for eight hours every night."

He sighs.

"And you are going to take your supplements, all of them."

"I can't, Two of them make me gain-"

"Chat forget about the weight! You're killing yourself! Don't you see that?"

"But am I dead?"

"You're missing the point." Marinette says, frustrated.

"I understand what you mean Princess but it's easier said than done. I don't live a very conventional life. Some people are able to eat whole cupcakes and not put on weight, some of us take a bite of a cupcake and gain several lbs."

"But you're not going to be a model forever Chat."

"I know, but until then I have to do what I need to in order to keep my built. Yes, some modelling industries may want a muscular model, but the ones that I'm contracted with do not. Lean and tall. That's it."

"Then break the contract."

Chat sighs.

"Like I said, It's easier said than done."

"Why?"

"It just is Princess."

Marinette stares at him.

"I won't accept it." She says finally.

"Yet you have to."

"No."She says, crossing her arms and tossing her head to the side.

Chat tilts his head.

"Someone's in a particularly bossy mood." He chuckles.

Marinette huffs. "It's time for you to go to sleep." She says, standing up.

Chat looks at her stunned.

"It's not even ten as yet." he says.

Marinette ignores him and makes her way to her room, knowing he would follow behind, and he does.

Once they enter the room, Marinette retrieves a clean white pillow and a comforter from her wardrobe and goes up to her loft.

"What are you doing?" He asks curiously, and Marinette turns to him with hands on her hips.

"You are going to bed."

Chat stares at her.

"Who actually sleeps at this time?"

"Plenty of people." Marinette says as she fluffs up the pillow.

"Yeah, old people and seven years olds." He says in annoyance.

Marinette ignores him and turns the thermostat, making the room warmer.

He groans.

"This is stupid."

"Uh huh."

"I don't want to sleep."

"Mmm hmm." Marinette says, looking around the room for something.

"Princess are you even listening to me?"

Marinette picks up a black cloth and some sticky tack.

"Yes, of course kitten."

Chat pouts.

"You're not."

Marinette sticks the cloth over the trapdoor above her bed.

She finally turns to him.

"Come on kitty, time for bed."

Chat looks at her oddly.

"But I'm not tired."

"I know, but you need to rest, you had a long day. And no doubt you've been scheming all day." She says with a pointed look.

Chat pouts. "Overly bossy today." He says once more.

She extends her hand to him.

He sighs before taking it.

The heat in the room was kind of making him a little drowsy. He yawns discretely. Marinette instructs him to lay on his previously designated side of the bed. He rolls his eyes and lies down.

"I'm being babied." He says as she covers him with the blanket.

"Just stop thinking and sleep."

Marinette takes the pillow and comforter that she brought up and sets it on her side. She settles herself in and puts the light off.

Chat stares around the dark room, able to see everything.

He sighs. His plushy was at Nino's place. He turns to Marinette.

"Can't I sleep at 12?"

"No."

"But I'm only going to fall asleep at 12 anyway…"

"And if you go to bed at twelve you'll fall asleep at two."

Chat sighs again. Marinette closes her eyes.

"I'm bored." He says.

"Go to sleep."

He groans and turns to lay on his back.

He stares at the ceiling for a few minutes.

"You're not sleeping." Marinette murmurs.

"I'm just thinking."

"What are you thinking about?"

"You know, if you never broke my nose, I wouldn't be here right now."

"Are you saying you're glad I broke your nose, kitty?"

Chat's quiet for a moment.

"I am, I mean I didn't know I would be, but I am."

Marinette hums.

"Well, let me just say It felt really good, breaking your nose I mean." She giggles.

Chat turns his head to her.

"Geez thanks, here I am pouring my soul out to you and that's the response I receive? You wound me my lady." Chat clutches his chest.

"Fine, I'm glad I whipped your butt in that alley that day."She snickers.

"Hey, I was really tired that day." he says defensively.

Marinette snorts.

"The fearsome Chat Noir, taken down by a petite young woman. For shame, sir."

"Yeah well, the said woman had pepperspray and hit below the belt so it doesn't count."

"I think it does."

"Princess, it does not."

"Admit it, you're a cute, loving kitty at heart."

"Never."Chat says.

Marinette sits up.

"Denial."

Marinette gets an idea.

"Bet he's a super-ticklish one too." She grins, but Chat realises her ill-intent a second too late, for she's already tickling him.

He begins to laugh uncontrollably.

"No…Stop…claws…may scratch you…"He gasps out between tickles, he does his best to keep his claws to himself.

Marinette straddles him when he tries to escape and continues her relentless torture.

"This…is animal…cruelty." He wheezes out.

"Paris' greatest villain's weakness: Being tickled." Marinette teases.

"Nooo…"Chat groans out.

"See, such a good kitten."

He tries to catch he wrists but she evades him easily.

"Oh look…Berry's out of his…box…"Chat says.

Marinette stops for the slightest of seconds to look over her shoulder, but that was all the time Chat needed to flip them over.

"HA!"He says once she's pinned down.

Marinette brings her feet up and puts them on Chat's chest,using them to push Chat off her, he moves back slightly,surprised at her very clever idea, but he catches himself, and stays firmly in place.

"Very Clever princess." He chuckles.

Marinette huffs.

"Hey, did you see the Modification on your gloves?"

"Huh?"

"You should check it out." Marinette says.

"Nice try." Chat snickers.

"I'm serious." Marinette says with an eyes roll.

Chat readjusts Marinette's wrists so that he's holding both effortlessly in one hand.

He lifts his palm to his face. He takes in the swirling, tribal tattoo like designs.

It looked really alluring. There were a few words written in green.

 _Your claws will come out when it needs to be used, you don't have to think to extend them, they will just do so, when not in use they will retract. If you want them out all day, just think to extend them and they will extend. Thought this may come in handy… ;)_

Chat blinks as the writing fades away once he reads it.

"And question, who is Plagg?"

Chat looks at her.

"Urmm, my Cat…"

"No, really, who and what is he?"

Chat purses his lips, should he tell her Chat was a kwami and gave him his powers?

"Well…"

"Well…?"

"He kind of makes me Chat Noir."

"How?"

"He's this magic kind of creature, he lets me use his powers to transform."

"Transform? Wait wait wait, this is not a costume?"

"Nope."

"And you aren't some radioactive human?"

"Something like that."

"So how come I've never seen Plagg before? Where does he go?"

"He's here, you just can't see him."

"So he's there watching absolutely everything?"

"Not exactly, he tunes me out and goes to sleep,he sleeps easily, so I never hear him."

Marinette nods to herself.

"He's really worried about you."

"I know."Chat says, running his free hand through his hair. "I never knew he could come out, into a human-like form."

"He wasn't exactly human,he had whiskers and fur, and cat ears and a tail and his eyes kind of glowed."

"Sounds a lot like his Kwami form."

"His what?"

"Kwami, when I'm not Chat Noir he moves around as a small floating kitten-like creature."

"Interesting…" Marinette says.

She blinks up at him. "He calls you kid."

"He's older than he seems."

"Really?"

"Mmmhmm, over 5000 years old."

"5000?"She asks incredulously.

"5000."Chat confirms.

"He used to tell me that he's not used to being responsible, but he's been more responsible than he knew he could be this century. It's weird, but I really am thankful to him for being by my side, and putting up with me through everything, even when I'm being reckless."

"Wow, I wish I had a Kwami thing." Marinette says.

Chat tilts his head as he looks down at her.

"What would you do with it Princess?"

"I'd be less clumsy for one, and I'd make Paris safe again, and I'd protect people."

"Ever the selfless one."

"And you could be my side-kick."Marinette giggles.

"Side-kick? Why can't we be partners?"

"Well, we could be a great team." Marinette says.

"Yeah,you could figure out how to get the bad guys and I could beat the crud out of them."

"I could beat the crud out of them if I wanted to as well."Marinette says.

"I don't think you could."

"And why not?"

"You've been unable to escape for the last 5 minutes."

"Urgh, I could totally escape."

"How, you going to hit me with your pot?" Chat snickers.

"I can't find my pot. But…"She suddenly lifts her body so that her head can reach his arm, and she bites down.

Chat yelps, not expecting that.

Marinette uses the opportunity to break free from his loosened hold, using her feet to throw him off her. She breaks off into a run, around her bed.

"Conniving little woman. Whatever shall I do with you?" Chat asks, rubbing his forearm.

"Nothing much, since it's time for all little boys to sleep."

Chat raises his brow.

"Little boy?"

"Uh huh, the littlest of little." Marinette says through giggles.

"My lady, are you mocking me?"

"Perhaps." She says.

"That's a very dangerous thing to be doing, love." Chat says with a grin.

"What are you going to do about it, alley cat?"

"Make you eat your words."

"Never." Marinette says, dodging his as he lunges for her.

They run around the bed for a while.

"Surrender while you can!" Chat says as she slides down the ladder into her room.

"You can't make me!" She calls back almost at the trapdoor, but he makes it there before her.

"Says who?" He says with a sneaky grin."

Marinette takes off in the direction of the chaise.

Chat makes it there before her.

"Nowhere to hide princess." He tilts his head.

Marinette looks around the room.

"AHA." She says grabbing a bottle from the table next to her little pot plant.

Chat slinks towards her.

"And what is my Princess going to be doing with that?" He asks, not realising what she was holding.

She lifts the spray bottle to his face and sprays. Chat's mouth drops open as his face gets sprayed with water.

"You did not just do that." He says. Marinette snickers and has the gall to squirt the bottle a few more times. Chat stands there, absolutely stunned.

"Bad Chat, Bad!" She says as if speaking to a pet.

Chat finally snaps out of his daze and hisses, suddenly reaching forward, grabbing her and throwing her over his shoulder.

"That's it, no more fun for you, you're grounded till to bed."

"Hey! Put me down!" She whines. Chat drops her onto her bed, before suddenly tickling her.

Plagg was right, it was handy being able to retract his claws.

"Nooooo! Stop! Have mercy!" Marinette says as she tries to shield her tummy.

"I would love to, but I'm not in a merciful mood." Chat says.

"Oh no, please find it in your heart to forgive me for my sins." Marinette manages to say.

"I'll think about it." Chat says.

Marinette's face begins to turn pink with all of the laughter.

Chat grins and stops torturing her. She takes deep breaths before opening her eyes and looking up at him as he hovered above her on the bed.

Again, neither of them realised the compromising position they were in, with Chat's body hovering above Marinette's, with their faces so close and their eyes connecting.

"You know Chat, I'm also glad I broke your nose that day." He rolls his eyes at her words.

"If I didn't, you wouldn't be here right now." She continues.

"So what that basically translates to you're glad that you've met me?"

"Yes, exactly that." Marinette smiles.

Chat smiles, and for the first time, Marinette can see the timid edge to it. It was easy to be missed, but she could see it.

"It's hard to imagine my life now if none of this happened. Everything feels like a dream sometimes." Chat says.

"I get what you mean, I mean if someone told me Chat Noir would become one of the most important people in my life, I swear I may have broken their nose."

For a few seconds they're silent, before both parties realise exactly what she's said.

Chat blinks.

"One of the most important people in your life?"

Marinette turns her head to the side.

"I don't want you to stay sick. I don't want you to disappear."

"But I'm right here Princess." He says gently.

"You're deteriorating, and I can't do anything about it. Eventually it's all going to catch up to you, and you'll fade away."

"I won't just leave you like that, Princess."

"Someday you may not have a choice."

Chat purses his lips, taking in the young woman's sudden change in demeanour.

She was right, and he knew it.

"But isn't that life? You don't always get a choice, sometimes you have to take what you get."

"And it's your duty to take care of what you're given."

Chat tilts his head, and turns her head so that she's facing him.

"Why do you care so much?"

She remains silent.

"Why do you not want me to die? You know for a fact that your life would be much easier. Paris could go back to the way it was. You could live a normal life again. You could stay out late, and watch the stars, and go to the movies again, and sleep with your windows open."

The more he spoke, the more he realised how difficult he had made her life through his years of being Chat Noir. How much of her life had he stolen from her by making her live in fear?

"You could have Karaoke nights, and more sleepover's with Alya, and you don't have to live in a barred up house. You wouldn't have to get scolded for finishing up a design late at University because you'd have no curfew, and you could have celebratory dinners again instead of congratulatory lunches, you could support Nino at more of his gigs, and you could play in the rain again."

Chats brows furrow as it occurs to him that he had not just made her life difficult, but he had made her life just like his, the life of a prisoner.

"You could sketch in the park and watch the sunset from the meadows, or see the Eiffel tower late at night, you could go out and catch fireflies like you always wanted, you could take a boat on the Seine and dance in the dark with the ship's fairy lights dimly burning, you could take walks after…"

He swallows.

"…going out on a date, and-"

"It doesn't matter." She cuts him off.

"What?"

"You wouldn't be there with me. So none of that matters."

She receives an odd look.

"I don't care how easy my life would be. I don't care if I can't do all those things. It doesn't matter, because I got you in exchange, and in reality, I got the better end of the bargain. Letting go of all those things is the miniscule price that I'm willing to pay to have someone as unprecedentedly perfect, wonderful and amazing as you. In the end, I'd do anything to have you forever."

Chat's eyes widen.

Her face turns red when she realises what she's said.

"Forever? Me?"

She coughs.

"I mean, forever is a long time, but we could be ghosts and scare people, and we could totally watch movies together then and dance on the boat to spook everyone out, that's if you want to dance, it's perfectly cool if you want to-"

Chat puts a finger on her lip.

"So what you're saying is I get to have you all for myself forever if eat and sleep properly and by default, not die?"

"Pretty much." She says.

Chat stares at her.

"So if I agree, do I have to sleep right this minute?"

"Not this exact minute, why?"

"We're French, there's a way things go." Chat says with a devious grin.

"Huh?" Marinette looks at him in confusion, but he just chuckles and dips his head.

It took Marinette a second to realise that Chat was kissing her. Something in her chest exploded,it was as if it was waiting for this young man for eternity,and finally he showed up, and she knew that this was the one she was destined to be with.

Chat Noir, whoever he was underneath his mask, was the missing part of her soul, the piece she never realised wasn't there till she met him.

It was strange how she was able to accept him into her life so easily, but she never ever wanted him to leave. If he ever did, she would never be the same again.

Chat was a very gentle kisser, but whatever he was doing was quite dizzying

One of her hands drifted into his hair while the other held the back of his neck, and Chats hands pulled her into a tighter embrace.

She exhaled shakily as his lips peppered gentle kisses down her neck, across her collarbone , to the dip of her shoulder and back up to her mouth.

She hummed happily in approval when he returned, kissing her much more passionately this time.

Slowly he breaks away from her, which makes Marinette whine in response.

Chat looks at her ruffled appearance appreciatively.

She smiles up at him, and he smiles back at her with a face-splitting grin.

"I should have been informed earlier." He says, resting his forehead against hers.

"I would have informed you, but I was kind of battling the feelings."

"Tell me about it, I've been in denial for ages now." Chat says.

He shifts so that they're lying on their sides in a comfortable embrace, his arms hold her protectively, almost as if he were scared that if he let go, he'd wake up to find that he was just dreaming.

She looked into his green eyes and she could see the happiness swirling around them.

"Did anyone tell you that you have beautiful eyes?" She tells him.

Chat flutters his eyelashes.

"My lady, are you trying to flatter me?"

Marinette blushes.

"No." She says, hiding her face in his chest.

"Sounded like you were." He chuckles.

"Go to sleep." She says grumpily.

"Your wish is my command." Chat says, before eyeing that Cat pillow on her bed.

"Yeah sorry buddy, she's mine." He says to it, before flinging it off the loft.

"What did he ever do to you?"

"He just looked really dodgy." Chat says.

"Aww, but his colours were so _catchy_."Marinette laughs.

"Princess, you are so bad at puns."

Marinette growls.

"Go to sleep before you go flying off the loft too."

"I'm sleeping, I'm sleeping." Chat says, placing a kiss atop her head.

"Sweet dreams, kitty."

"Sweet dreams, Princess." He says with an adoring smile.

And they both drift into slumber.

 _ **MEANWHILE IN MIAMI…**_

Chloe drops her glass at the same time that Gabriel Agreste crushes his in his hand.

The dinner party was interrupted by an urgent Message.

Everyone watched in horror as Adrien Agreste cried.

"My son…"Gabriel says in a quiet voice.

"Not him…"Gabriel says, his breathing becoming heavy.

Chloe stands still, stunned at everything she had just seen.

She had watched the entire live broadcast. Every bit of it. She brought her hand to her mouth. He had Adrien, he knew about her babies, he calculated her every move and now she could do nothing, all she had was Marcus, and she was not sure how far that would take her.

She swallows.

In this game, Chat Noir was winning. Chloe shakes her head.

No. She would not let him win. Never.

She knew she couldn't just get Marinette now. She needed a plan so flawless that Chat Noir himself wouldn't be able to figure it out.

Gabriel begins to step back, before turning and darting out of the Exhibition hall.

"Chloe, stay here, Nathalie, get my jet ready, and get me a list of the best private investigators in the world, I'll take care of deciding who to call. Contact the agency, and tell them that I will be putting a pause on the showcase of my designs. I will have my son back!" He says almost desperately.

Chloe just stares at the screen.

"Madame. A message for you." A tall, elegantly dressed butler says.

She snaps out of her daze and looks at the letter on the silver dish.

She picks it up after a moment and walks out of the hall, once she's away from everyone, she brings the letter to eye level. With slightly shaking hands, she opens it. There's only two words.

' _Your move.'_

Chloe blinks down at the letter.

"Indeed it is, Chat Noir. Indeed it is."

She cricks her neck.

 **A/N:Ahhhhh, finally.**

 **Hey guys! Ra Ra here and OMG I've missed you!We've hit 1000 reviews guys.**

 **O.O**

 **Like seriously,guys you are the best!Sorry I haven't updated earlier, you have no idea just how packed my life had been these past few weeks, nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing this.**

 **Also, I hope that you keep in mind all the little remarks that the characters make…Heee heee!So anyways :D**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!I become so motivated by your comments really, like part of me goes, "Urgh,ditch the story Girl, you're so tired…" and then the other part of me goes, "NO!You will write that chapter!" so really, this story is a result of all your kindness. Everything is slowly falling into place,SO YAY!**

 **ANYWHOO, you know the drill:**

 **Instagram: rara_erza_heartfilia**

 **I'm going to start posting little teasers of chapters from now on,along with some awesome art done by my good friend Ti so make sure to follow,and please follow her on twitter!**

 **mobile . twitter 1209 Sina**

 **Remove spaces. add an h,a t,another t,a p,an s,a colon and two slashes to the front of it,and a dot,a c,an o and an m followed by a slash after the word twitter.**

 **So guys, if you've done any art, be sure to send it to me so it can be showcased.**

 **Until next time!**

 **XOXO**

 **Ra Ra**


	20. Viewpoints

On any normal night Tikki would have slept soundly, peacefully and unperturbed by anything that the night had to throw at her.

However…Tonight was no ordinary night. Sirens could be heard from every direction, and one would have to be dog tired or tone deaf to be able to ignore it. Being that as it may, Tikki was never one to be bothered with such sounds seeing as the human race was quite an unruly bunch in their own right.

No, it was not the beeping of cars or screeching of speeding policemen. It was the eerie feeling in her gut that Plagg was being reckless.

She always knew when her better half was being a complete idiot, and to be frank, her senses were going off for the last few years, but tonight was different. She had had felt this feeling before, and it never ended well then. There was a big possibility that it wouldn't end well now either.

Tikki was no idiot, she knew what Plagg had just done. She wasn't exactly sure why he had done it, but she was sure that he did.

The kwami frowned to herself.

What exactly had young master Agreste done to prompt Plagg to do a Reversal? Did he not know just how dangerous it would be for Plagg? Better yet, did he even know Plagg could do that?

Tikki sighed, wanting nothing more than to find Plagg and smack some sense into him, he promised he wouldn't do Reversal when she wasn't there to protect him… normally she had no taste for violence. BUT that stupid feline was driving her to irrationality…

Still, he was her idiot, and no matter how big of one he was, she resigned to the fact that she could never go on without him…

Which made her even more infuriated.

If he died, what would happen? Centuries ago, he almost did, for the exact same cause.

He was more loving than anyone else gave him credit for, but he was much too prideful to admit. She closed her eyes. It didn't feel like he was getting hurt, in fact it actually felt as if he was getting stronger. She shook her head, maybe the distance between them was clogging her senses…No, it still felt like he was getting stronger.

She frowned, was it Plagg getting stronger, or was it Adrien?

Tikki sighed, he was alright, and she hoped it stayed that way, the combination of Plagg and Adrien Agreste was a dynamic one, and she just hoped that in the end, the world ,and the duo would survive that explosion.

* * *

Chloe stared out at the ocean, watching the waves crash and smash against the rocks. It seemed that the very earth was angry. The tide was high, and wind blew in every which way.

Yes, the universe was furious.

A mixture of wind and ocean spray pierced her skin, and she closed her eyes, exhaling through her nose as her dress whipped around her and momentarily stung her pale body.

Everything was a mess. The sky. The world. Her life. His.

And yet here she was. Undeniably calm. It was as if everything she had ever done had faded away for just an inkling of a second and while the world screamed and unravelled beyond her lightly closed eyes, she stood completely oblivious and numb to it all.

But…

The sea still raged and the tide was still high. The universe was still expanding and the world was not stopping for her. Time was turning and coursing and twisting and fate was unravelling into a red-string, uncatchable, seconds would change to hours and in the past she had seen that hours had morphed into years, and overtime she became every creature she had ever been afraid of, and yet in the blankness of being afraid she was no longer scared, because she became the embodiment of fear itself. She never had to justify herself, and never would she need to, because she was the monster that she hid away from and chased from under her bed, and it all began so simply, so quietly and so suddenly that she never understood what had actually happened until she was beyond the point of giving retribution for her sins. And her sins were addictive, and so utterly refreshing, that even when it disgusted her, it somehow sated her.

To any ten year old, the idea of taking a life would be completely un-thought of, it was something unheard of, and it wasn't something that the conventional child dwelled on. However, she became infatuated with the very imagery of being able to take control of someone else's life.

To be able to be true ventriloquist. To be God. It started out easily enough, being allowed to boss about her servants, being the one who decided who she liked, and those she wanted fired. She could let a whole servant family starve, with no food or money just by saying that she didn't like them. It thrilled her that she could be so powerful. She was the reason they were not on the streets. It was her very grace allowing those peasants the means to live.

And then it moved to her pets. The darling creatures, ever so trusting and thoughtful, but even animals were selfish.

She had seen it in nature, how eaglets sometimes ate the other eaglet to survive, and how the mother never intervened at times. She had seen how Pandas ate their own offspring. She oft wondered, what prompted them to make such a move? Was it instinct, was it for survival? Was it both?

She decided to test her hypothesis once by locking twelve cats in an abandoned factory in one of the sound proof offices. As the days passed she noticed them become increasingly agitated. Eventually, they began to attack each other, and it dawned on her that she had been right. As she watched the cats feast on each other's mangled corpses it occurred to her how easily it had been to manipulate them, how easily they were broken. She could have made the choice to drop food in, but she didn't, they did exactly as she thought they would, and she realised that she was in complete control. She was the one who had predetermined their deaths. She was the one who had orchestrated their demise, and at any time she could have easily stopped it, but that was the beauty of it, she was the master, she did not have to stop for anyone.

Her curiosity grew, and grew and grew until one day it could not be kept to just animals anymore. She needed a life, a human life, a life that she could manipulate beyond the boundaries of starvation, beyond the boundaries of money.

Someone innocent and vulnerable who she could watch crumble, who could belong completely to her, their master, and who better than perfect little Adrien Agreste. Mommy's little angel was what he was before, oh but she knew he could be so much more than that, he could be hers.

He was the perfect candidate, so easy to blackmail, so easily accessible. He had nobody. He wasn't allowed to fraternise with other children, not even the other models, and it was a marvel that the boy dealt with isolation so well and still behaved normally. It was so easy, and it turned out into everything she could have ever imagined and more.

Oh how she revelled in the knowledge that he was too broken to even look at anyone in a sexual way ever again. It was positively thrilling that look of utmost humiliation in his eyes every time she closed in on him…

It was so beautiful that he was at her utmost mercy. And then one day she the inevitable happened, she wondered if she could make him love her, because somehow along the way, her obsession became much more than just physical. Somehow, she had fallen in love with him…But that bastard, he never loved her back. She supposed it may have been something she deserved, but she knew that if she couldn't have him then damn it to hell, nobody else could. So she continued, and he hated her more, and somehow she found pleasure in it as much as she despised his loathsome behaviour towards her. She must admit, it was a nice touch to her insanity, being able to go as far as manipulating the lives of those who weren't even out in the world yet. She could determine how long they lived without them even having to do anything.

Perhaps that could have been why they were so special. Maybe it was because they were the only ones who basically had to love her no matter what since they were a part of her, they were the only ones who never fought back, they were the only ones who she could entirely manipulate in every aspect. However, if she had let them be born, they would grow, and think, and eventually hate her. She would never have complete control over them.

A harsh gust of wind threatened to knock the blond over.

Everything had been just fine.

Perfect even. And then suddenly Chat Noir ruined everything. He was one of the few things that she could not control, and she hated that. She hated that he was always a step ahead of her.

But how?

It was as if he had known her first hand, and had become accustomed to her tricks. In this game of death, he was predetermining her demise, and that was something entirely new to her.

He was somehow always out of reach.

However…From her years of watching and scheming, she knew better than anyone that everyone always left a tiny loophole, and it could have been smaller than a pinprick, but she was certain it existed, because she had always found and used those little specks to get her way.

So what was Chat Noir's speck? She couldn't turn Marinette in for knowing him, that would just make him turn her herself in for all she had done.

What was his damn speck…?

All she could think of was the assumption that he had not told Marinette who he was, and working on assumptions were deadly, but hey, she was already in this deep.

If he had what was hers, she would take what was his until he gave back what rightfully belong to her. That meant she needed that blue-haired filth alive.

It would definitely be risky, but it was something, she would give it all she had. Nobody was allowed to manipulate her. Absolutely nobody.

Except for the voices.

Always the voices whispering. They were so clever. She wondered how she ever managed without them. They offered the best advice, though at times they could be a bit pushy with their ideas, but they were never wrong, they got her this far…

They were quiet at the moment.

She knew exactly what she needed to do.

And she would do it.

* * *

Marinette woke up at three, at first she stared blankly at the wall, before realizing that she was sleeping in someone's arms. Her eyes trailed down to the gloved, elegant hand lying loosely on her tummy.

Marinette turned around slowly and looked at Chat's face. Now that she was this close, she was able to see that not a single blemish marred his immaculate features. Nothing was out of place, not even his messy hair. She smiled, tracing his features with her eyes. He was a beautiful creation, but she longed to see what he looked like without the mask.

Marinette sighed. She really wanted him to get better, whatever he was doing now wasn't right, Plagg had told her so, she needed to change his habits.

She slowly began to sit up, but as she did, she heard a low groan and the arms around her didn't budge. Chat was most definitely fast asleep, but he showed no signs of having the intention of letting her waist go. He snuggled into her lap and let out a whine.

Marinette smiled, he was too adorable.

She leaned back against the headboard and adjusted them before letting her hands sift through his hair, scratching his scalp gently.

She looked at the bathroom, then back at him. Well, she could handle holding it in for one night.

She continued her ministrations and let her other hand cradle his nape, but an hour later he began to stir.

Slowly he used his arms to prop his upper body up, and he sleepily came face to face with his princess. For a minute he stared at her with blank sleepy eyes, and she looked back at him with a gentle smile.

She placed her hand on his face.

"Sleep." She said softly.

Chat stared at her and blinked sleepily, not getting what she said.

Marinette giggled and pulled him closer to her chest, which forced his arms to give up from under him, the sleepy villain found himself comfortably on her chest.

He yawned again.

"I'm awake, I'm awake." He yawns out.

"Sleep."

He looks up at her and she runs her hand up his forehead and holds his bangs out of his face.

"But I'm awake now…"He says.

"You can still fall asleep."

"But I've already woken up, how can I?"

"I've been told I have a very calming voice." Marinette says softly.

Chat yawns.

"It's a lie." He says through another yawn.

"Oh kitty, you've hurt my feelings."

"I'm sorry, you do have a calming voice princess. It's like an electric blanket and warm zero-fat milk."

Marinette rubbed his temples and let her other hand rub his back.

"You need to sleep now." She whispers.

"You do too." He murmurs back.

"Only if you sleep first."

"That's not fair my lady." He says. Marinette smiles, thankful that he hadn't actually fully woken up.

He suddenly chuckles.

"My fair lady is being unfair." He smiles into her chest.

"Sleep and I'll forgive your pathetic humour."

"Sing me a song and I'll forget that insult to my hilarity."

Marinette smiles and rests her head on top of his.

" _Petals, delicate and simple, they teach me a hundred lessons…"_

She takes another breath.

" _Leaves, well they're always somewhere in between_ …

 _Skies, blue and bright, teach me what it means to know my strengths_

 _And the wind, taught me how to chase my dreams."_

Chat listens to the words quietly.

" _And the sea, well he showed me that sometimes we get angry_

 _And the moon, she knew she could un-grit his teeth_

 _And though, the world has shown me a million and one teachings_

 _The greatest one, is that you belong with me …_

 _Because light fades to dusk and dusk fades to dawn_

 _Tempests stir and destiny turns and yet somewhere in the midst_

 _One thing is sure_

 _Your importance in my life_

 _And my presence in yours_

 _And even when the world comes against you,_

 _when the hurricane hits and even water detests you,_

 _and the fires too ice and the blizzard too flaming,_

 _I'll be with you, my heart unchanging…"_

Marinette swirls a piece of his hair.

" _You see the birds, they taught me that it's possible to defy gravity_

 _And the sand, that I could really be just a speck_

 _The rain, she taught me that cycles are sometimes unbreakable_

 _But the trees say never look down or back…_

 _And so I learned with you the meaning of perseverance_

 _The meaning of love and loyalty and vigilance_

 _And yes the world has shown me a million and one teachings_

 _But my favourite one is you and your beautiful brilliance…"_

Chat shifts to stare at her as she sang.

" _And yes,light fades to dusk and dusk fades to dawn_

 _Tempests stir and destiny turns and yet somewhere in the midst_

 _One thing is sure_

 _Your importance in my life_

 _And my presence in yours_

 _And even when the world crashes against you,_

 _when the hurricane hits and even water detests you,_

 _and the fires too ice and the blizzard too flaming,_

 _I'll be with you, my heart unchanging._ "

Marinette continues calmly petting him as he stares at her engrossed despite his glossy ,sleepy eyes.

" _Now life still has its lessons_

 _And nature has a thousand more_

 _But thankfully, with your hand in mine_

 _They're not as frightening as before…"_

She brushes the hair out of his face as he blinks slowly up at her.

" _Because although light fades to dusk and dusk fades to dawn_

 _Tempests stir and destiny turns, yes, somewhere in the midst_

 _One thing is sure_

 _Your importance in my life_

 _And my whole being in yours_

 _And even when the world comes against you,_

 _when the hurricane whips and even water detests you,_

 _and the fires too ice and the blizzard too flaming,_

 _I'll be with you, my heart unchanging._

 _Yes, I'll be with you, my love unchanging…_ "

Marinette looks down at him.

"Did you write that?" Chat asks.

"I may have written it…"She smiles at him.

"I don't know if I'm just hearing things or what but if I was not sure that you were flirting with me before then I'm almost certain that you may be hitting on me now." Chat says with a serious sleepy face.

Marinette snorts.

Chat picks up her hand and places a kiss on it.

"That was the most beautiful thing I've ever had the honor of hearing...Thank you."

Marinette blushes.

Chat pulls her back down into his arms and nuzzles her nose.

"You have to sleep now, Kitty."

"If that is what you wish Princess."

Chat says, planting a kiss on her head.

* * *

Nino peaked outside his window, Adrien had not returned yet, and it was getting late.

He couldn't help but let his thoughts wander to the idea of Adrien being at Marinette's…

How long had this friendship been going on? Weeks, months, years? Why had she never said anything? She knew she could trust him, so why? Did she not want to betray the trust of Chat Noir?

He frowned, no doubt, it was a highly tangled web that he had somehow gotten himself caught in. Knowing who Chat Noir was one thing.

Knowing that your best friend and Chat Noir had an illegal relationship that you weren't supposed to know about was another.

Chat Noir.

Adrien Agreste.

He had everything…Money, fame, fans, so why?

What aspect of his life had been so lacking that he decided that being a serial attacker would quench his thirst? Did he not realize the dire consequences of what he had done? And did he think that he would be able to hide his identity forever?

It was strange, very strange. Agreste was always smiling, he had never actually seen him without a smile. Nino shivered, only now realizing how different Adrien's smiles were when compared to Chat Noir's.

There was undeniably something psychotic about Chat Noir's. It was unnerving, to say the least.

Nino stepped away from the window and walked back into his kitchen, putting the pizza he had made earlier away. He was curious. Maybe Adrien Agreste was not as happy as his photos showed, maybe there was something that he and everyone else had overlooked. He filled a glass of water and pursed his lips.

Adrien had done an excellent job at hiding whatever pain he was in…could it have been because of the disappearance of his mother? Was that enough to catalyze his actions?

For some reason, Nino felt that that was not the real reason behind the demon that was Chat Noir.

So what was it…?

He took a sip from his glass and leaned against the island table. He didn't know much about Adrien, but something was amiss.

His phone buzzed. Quickly, he retrieved it from the lounge. Alya was calling.

"Hey love." He answered.

"Nino Nemo Nino, I think I figured it out!" Alya says.

Nino frowns and readjusts himself on the couch.

"What did you figure out?" he asks, as calmly as he could despite his curiosity.

"Get this, the night of the exhibition, Chat Noir manages to escape the Exhibit, right?"

"Yes baby, he did…"

"Which, as I've said before, could mean that he's a model. Looking at his structure he's one of the runway models I believe. But now let's look at his first attack, he could have picked any building to destroy, so why the hotel of our dear mayor?"

"I don't know…."

"It's because the mayor may have affiliations with the culprit! He literally told the mayor not to touch what's his, pretty distinctly too. But now the real proof lies in his last attack."

"How so?"

"Okay let's think about it, Adrien Agreste is famous, right?"

"Yeeeeaaahhh?"

"But have we ever seen him with anyone else besides Chloe?"

Nino doesn't understand.

Alya huffs, "Laptop, Google Adrien Agreste outings with Friends."

Nino leans forward and retrieves his laptop from the table, it was already on so he opens up his browser and does as Alya asks. Sure enough, although there were many photos of Adrien with other models, they all looked unapologetically peeved at being near him, and he looked uncomfortable if you scrutinized the picture enough, but every other image was of him and Chloe.

Chloe and Adrien entering the hotel, Chloe and Adrien entering Agreste HQ, Chloe and Adrien at Dinner, Chloe and Adrien at the Eiffel tower, Chloe and Adrien on a boat in the Seine, it's always them.

"Babe?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, sorry love, I see it."

"So now the person who did the crime must be someone close to him, close enough to be affected by his disappearance. And which stupid bitch do we know who's related to the Mayor and best friends with Adrien Agreste and is safely out of the country, out of reach of Chat Noir?"

Nino's eyes widen.

"But baby even so, if Chloe is the one who is behind all of this, that would mean that all those fetuses were hers…I've never seen Chloe look over twelve weeks pregnant…"

"Yes you have, think about, she's always wearing tights, a tank top, and a bolero jacket, but suddenly sometimes she starts wearing these dresses that poof out from underneath her bust. And then after a few weeks, she just stops and goes back to normal."

"But then who would the father be?"

"Well… I was thinking about it, and I know it's crazy but I have this nagging feeling that it may be Adrien Agreste."

"Adrien? Why Adrien? "Nino says, his gut twisting.

"I don't know baby, it just seems weird, like he's always at her place and she's always at his, and like even if they're just friends, the temptation is there."

"How is Chloe tempting at all love? I really don't think Adrien would have been seduced that easily…I mean how many times have we seen him literally brush off all the female models around him?"

"Even so, Adrien probably knows a side of her that could be…nice-"

Nino made a gagging noise.

"- and so he may be attracted to her."

Nino gagged harder.

"Babe concentrate."

"Alya, even if he was…attracted to that devil woman, Adrien Agreste loves kids, like you see him with them, he's so good with them, I don't think he would ever let Chloe…"

"What if he had no idea?"

Nino paused."

"If he had no idea then he would not be able to stop her."

Alya yawned.

"But even if my idea is right, the only ones who know what a horrible person Chloe is, are the few people she schooled with, nobody would believe a bunch of bitter teens. The public loves her because she always portrays the image of a nice human being."

"And even if they did believe us all the evidence we have is an assumption, which is basically no evidence. Also, there's the possibility that Adrien meets up with his friends at home or extremely privately, or even on Skype or Facetime, so we can't really say that for certain. And Chat Noir could have confronted the mayor because the mayor of the town should have been protecting all the citizens yet he clearly didn't."

"Mmm hmmm, you know, I had this crazy idea that maybe…"

"Maybe…?"

"Maybe Chat Noir is…"

"Baby?"

"Nevermind,my mind is running away with me again."

Alya yawns once more.

"You should rest love."

Alya hummed.

"Alright, night Nemo, I love you." She says with another yawn.

"Night Sunshine, I love you more."

Alya cut the call. Nino stared at his phone.

Alya had a very interesting theory going, and though her points seemed possibly valid, she didn't know that Adrien was Chat Noir himself.

If Adrien was the father of all of those fetuses then surely as Chat Noir he could have frightened Chloe into keeping them or something, right?

But then…if it was Chloe behind all of this then there was a chance that no doctors would let out her information, they had a vow of confidentiality, and more so if the patient was the mayor's daughter right?

Oh this was just too messed up.

Nino stretched and walked to his room,he was tired, and that Chat Noir was making him too worried. He huffed, and shuffled into bed.

His life was much too weird.

 **CHAT NOIR/ADRIEN'S POV**

Well, to be very clear, I never exactly said that I was going to hurt Marinette when I got revenge on her,I think… so I'm going to consider my tickle attack earlier as revenge.

Oh shut up, I'm not going soft…

Shit I'm going soft, aren't I…?

I look down at the sleeping woman in my arms and I really can't comprehend just why she cares for me so much. The real question is… why am I enjoying it?

I had sworn to myself that I would never ever trust someone ever again yet here I am all these years later sleeping in a house that isn't my house, professing love and…cuddling?

Why am I even allowing myself such happiness? I don't deserve any of this happiness, I don't deserve someone as perfect as Marinette, why am I so selfish? Why can't I just let her go?

…Why am I so undeniably in love with her?

I'm not a good person, I don't do good things, I constantly make the wrong choices and I hurt people, and she still cares about me.

It makes absolutely no sense yet for the first time in forever, even though everything around me is going wrong, I feel happy.

It's as if the world was black and foggy and there was no sky, the rain was acidic, and I was a metal doll, destined to feel nothing, and then one day a princess arrived and placed a heart in this tin man's chest.

The world was still dark but a sky was slowly becoming visible and the sulphur in the rain was slowly disappearing. What I had done to deserve such a kindness, I will never know, but what I know is that somehow, someway, my life is changing.

I don't think I've ever been in love before, and if I had to describe it to you with my best diction, I know I still wouldn't be able to.

It feels like…

Like every cell in your body finally found its purpose, and every thought and idea somehow links back to that person, and everything around you reminds you of them and every quirk about them is more beautiful than sunrise. It's like your life makes no sense without them in it, and you can't bear to imagine it without them because it would feel like a death sentence, and you want to give them your whole being, every single part of you, the broken, the tainted, everything that makes you _you_ , because somehow and someway they're the glue that keeps you together and lifts your spirit, makes absolutely everything better, like a ray of sunshine in a dark, abandoned cave, like a bottle of water after running a mile.

It's like though you know there are so many faults, every single one makes you proud, because they come from your person, and the person is amazing, even when they may not see it, and even when they don't see how amazing they are ,it's all you're able to see, because they're your smile when you feel like crying, they're your walking stick when you can't walk any further, they're the mirth in your eyes and the adoration in your smile.

And you look at them and wonder how you ever managed without them. How did you even survive before them? And you honestly lay confuddled because you can't seem to understand how you did it. How did you do it? Your life is so much better, not because everything is going right…It could be a complete mess and still be better because of that one person. They become your reason to wake up excited, they become the first thing on your mind each morning and as cheesy as it is, yes, they're the last thing on your mind when you close your eyes to rest. You can't help but imagine a future with them, no matter what kind of a person you are. It can be confusing at times, but one thing is for certain, it's that you don't want to live without them. You want them to be with you forever and ever, and even forever wouldn't be enough time to be together. The idea of not having them there, no matter how infinitesimally small it is, is utterly daunting.

It feels like your intestines are being scrambled around inside you, and you want to vomit your heart out, and you start to feel like you may start to perspire blood soon because the idea of losing them hurts every fibre of your body.

And it's the greatest feeling in the world when somehow; the person you love with all your heart turns out to love you back, and feels exactly the same way.

They feel the butterflies, and the camaraderie and the joy of just being together. It's the most exhilarating, satisfying feeling, you feel contented, and excited, and nauseous (But the very good kind) and playful and so utterly happy…

And that is how I feel.

After everything, after all the horror and pain, I somehow came across a princess who was kind enough to have mercy on my heart. Even though I was not worthy, even though she could done octillion times better than me, even though she could have had anyone else, she chose me.

And not because I did her sexual favors, and not because I had a high status or for the billions in my bank account. It was just simply because she respected who I was and accepted me in all my disturbing and frankly extremely creepy glory.

That is all I ever dreamed of.

I hold her tighter. She is still here. I wouldn't bear it if she disappeared. I never ever wanted to be away from her. She's everything I ever needed and everything I ever wanted conveniently wrapped in the most perfect little package of kind, compassionate, beautiful, loving, pure, caring, crazy, intelligent, thoughtful, amazing, ethereal, pure and so many other things that I'm too busy being in love with to recall the proper French word for at the moment.

All I want to do is make her happy. I would do anything to keep her dizzying smile on her face, and I noticed that I'm thinking less and less evil as of recently.

Is it bad that I don't feel the need to attack as much as I used to?

It's really weird, I don't know what's going on… but Marinette Dupain-Cheng was changing me.

And in the best way possible.

Chloe had another thing coming if she thought I would let my princess get taken away that easily. I'd rather die before I let that filth get her slimy hands on her.

Our game would be over soon.

She thought she was going to win.

Well, that's what the rabbit thought in the race, didn't he?

 **NORMAL POV**

Chat slowly extracted himself from Marinette's arms. He needed to leave before six as he could no longer walk around as Adrien if he left late.

"Where you going…"She muttered.

"I have to go princess." He said as a knelt next to the bed and lay his palm on her cheek.

"Don't leave me." She said in sleepy, sad tone with her eyes closed.

His heart clenched and he frowned.

"I have to go, just for now, I promise I'll back just before crime time." He says gently.

Marinette murmured something unintelligible. It appeared she was not fully awake as yet.

Chat chuckled and placed a lingering kiss on her forehead and tucked the blankets more comfortably around her. He was hesitant in leaving, but he knew he had to.

"Bye,Princess."He said as he exited through her trapdoor before locking it.

He sighed. This was unfair. Chat groaned.

Suddenly an idea popped up in his head, and he began to run in the direction of Nino's house.

He opened the trapdoor and landed right next to Nino on the bed.

"Nino...Nino...Nino."

"Babeeeee, tomorrow."

"Huh?" Chat asked wide eyed.

"Yes of course honey." Nino said.

Chat looked around awkwardly.

"Urm Nino…"Chat called again.

"Babyyyy…I'm sleeping…"Nino spoke into the pillow, reaching out a hand and mistakenly running his hand down Chat's side.

Chat huffed and used his foot to kick Nino off the bed.

"Aaaagh!"Nino yelped, waking off the floor with a blanket over his head only to find the smug feline sitting crouched on his bed.

"What did you do that for?"

"You were calling me baby."

"I wasn't calling you baby, I was calling Alya…Oooohhh Alya isn't here." Nino said sheepishly.

Chat rolled his eyes.

"Plagg, detransform me."

Plagg fell onto the bed.

The three were quiet but even Nino could tell something was wrong with Plagg's demeanor as he slowly turned to Adrien with a deadly glare.

Adrien looked at him wide-eyed.

"You. Complete. MORON."

Adrien squeaked and fell off the bed the same way Nino had, which resulted in Nino bursting out into laughter. Adrien sits up in a rush, pulls the bed-sheet off his head and glares at Nino whose laughter suddenly become coughs.

"I told you. I TOLD YOU! But you wouldn't listen to me. Do you realize that I have a life too?!"Plagg snarls.

"I'm sorry Plagg, I didn't think I would actually drop…"

"That's the thing, kid, you didn't think! You never think about yourself, and now it's affecting me. Do you have any idea what I had to do last night?"

"Uhhhhh…."

"I had to do a reversal. Uh huh. A reversal, you know what that means? It means I came out and had the ability to actually get dead!"

"Urm, Plagg, Sir, I think you meant "Die"…"Nino says, trying to ease the strain on Adrien who was looking every bit like a deer caught in headlights.

Plagg spun around and threw a pillow at Nino, with the strength of something a hundred times his size, effectively knocking him over.

"I know what I meant, don't correct me you fool!"

Adrien snickered.

Plagg turned sharply to him with a twitching eye and Adrien coughs.

"Do you see what you have made me become, you've made me become like angry Tikki! I was cool once! I was the fun one, I could take a good joke, and now, now look at me…I'm repulsive." Plagg says, falling onto the bed, curling up, dejectedly, a loud wailing sound emitted from him.

Both boys get up from the floor, scramble on the bed and look down at the Kwami.

"Awww dude, dude you broke him." Nino says to Adrien who looks from Nino back to Plagg.

"Plagg, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please forgive me buddy."

Plagg wails louder into the bedding.

"Plagg…Plagg, come on, I won't do it again…" Adrien says going to scratch Plagg's ear.

Plagg smacks his finger away.

"Don't touch me." He says.

"Oh bro, he's really mad at you." Nino says to Adrien.

"I can see that, thank you very much." Adrien says with a glare.

"Alya said when a person is angry or crying you just have to feed them…"Nino whispers.

Adrien smacks his forehead.

"Of course! He's just angry because he's hungry."

"You mean hangry?"

Adrien's eye twitches.

"Like Plagg said, I know what I meant, fool!" Adrien huffs.

Nino raises his palms.

"Nino, do you have camembert?"

"Yeah of course, a shitload of it."

"Oh thank God." Adrien says, racing down the loft, to the kitchen.

He picks up a huge wheel and begins to run upstairs.

He sees Nino covering Plagg with a bit of blanket.

"He's not looking good Adrien."

Adrien quickly put the wheel on the bed and the wailing stops.

Plagg stands up and crawls over to the wheel before taking a big sniff.

"This is good cheese…You are momentarily forgiven." He says.

Adrien sighs in relief.

"Now, Nino, take this kid downstairs and make him eat at least two slices of the pizza."

Adrien's face contorts.

Plagg snarls at him.

"If you know what's good for you, you wouldn't complain right now. I'm in a load of trouble right now because I broke a promise in order to save your life which Marinette and I clearly care more about than you do, and now I have a 5817-year-old female angry at me. Have you ever dealt with one of those? NO! And they get crankier with age."

"You have a girlfriend?"Nino asks.

Plagg looks at his cheese.

"It's more like…I have a heart and a soul. She's my soul, and she's my heart. So she makes me, me."

Adrien blinks.

"In all my years of knowing you, that has to be the cheesiest thing you have ever said."

Plagg glares at him,and begins to snarl.

The boys squeak and scurry out of the room.

Nino fixes Adrien a plate of pizza. "So dude, you were waking me up for something. What was it?"

"Oh yes, I need you to go down to the bakery and buy everything."

Nino looks at him oddly.

"Everything? Or one of everything?"

"No, I want there to be nothing so they make target and close earlier too."

Nino smirks.

"What?" Adrien asks with narrowed eyes.

"Why would you want the bakery to close early?"

"So I can go there earlier…"

"Whyyyyy?"

"None of your business." Adrien says fighting off a blush

Nino smiles.

"Listen Adrien, for Marinette, there's no such thing as making target, if she runs out, she bakes more."

Adrien pouts.

"But, if you want me to help you pick a huge ass teddy bear online to deliver to her house, I can do that." Nino says with a grin.

He slides the plate in front of Adrien.

"After you eat this of course."

Adrien looks revolted.

"There's too much cheese."

"That's dairy."

"Avo is bad."

"Fruits are healthy."

"The grease…"

"Fats and oils."

Adrien looks uncomfortable.

Nino sighs.

He picks up a slice.

"I'll do it too."

Adrien takes a breath.

"The things I do for love."

* * *

Marinette turns over and notices that the bed is much too spacious. Chat was gone.

She pouted, before yawning widely.

A vibration from her phone startles her.

A new number had messaged her.

" _Hey Marinette, it's Marcus, I just wanted to know how you're doing…and maybe if we could meet to catch up?"_

Marinette blinked.

Chat was messaging her as a civilian?

She quickly typed out a reply.

" _Hey Marcus, I'm doing great, I hope you are too :) Sure!Just let me know when :D_ "

She smiled, at least he was loosening up.

Oh, if only she knew.

 **A/N: My friggin eyes. They're like drooping. Anyway OOOOOMGGGG GUYS! Hiiiiii! How are you! I hope you enjoyed this little thing I did here, took a bit of time to put together, and my laptop was being a bit of a moron, and I like only started tying this up yesterday, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, it's out only now...**

 **Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed,favourite,and followed, like here, have a virtual hug! I've been writing exams, and let me tell you, university exams are totally something else. Dang!I needed the love.**

 **The song is an Original,it has a tune and stuff,idk maybe I'll play it and put it up on YouTube?**

 **Also, to everyone who followed on Instagram, I'm sure the teaser makes sense now, and I hope you enjoyed the drawings done by AitchhDee! Those plushies are accurate representations of the plushies in the story.**

 **So if you haven't followed me on Instagram , let me just make a suggestion that you do… I'm pretty sure everyone who followed even knew that this update would come today because of the guideline of the updating time of this chapter.**

 **rara_erza_heartfilia**

 **DO IT!**

 **And talk to me because I love conversations!**

 **PLEASE REVIEW THIS CHAPTER! I gotta go, brain hurts, I love you all!**

 **XOXO**

 **Ra Ra**


	21. Selfish

Marinette frowned as the police left her home. The homes of the Parisians were undergoing thorough checks in the hope of finding the missing supermodel.

"Thank you for your time Marinette." Roger, Sabrina's dad said to her.

"It's alright." Marinette said with a small smile. Roger stared at her for a moment, contemplating something.

In all honesty, he was itching to ask if she had been in contact with Chat Noir after the incident, but the cold threat of the villain rang in his ears. He had said that he would kill her if the police asked her any questions, that somehow he would know about it, and Roger wasn't sure if he could take the risk.

Marinette was a sweet young woman, everyone adored her, he even looked at the girl like his own daughter, and he was not willing to put her life at risk…

Still, ever since Chat Noir had brought in her attacker, he couldn't help but wonder why on earth Chat Noir would have helped Marinette. He frowned.

There were many instances where the villain had saved many women from rape or assault, but he had always knocked around or beaten up those men and left the victim standing next to their unconscious attacker for the victim to call the police on their own.

In Marinette's case, he had actually brought the attacker in.

It was weird, but if he voiced his thoughts, he was certain there would be trouble. His eyes darted around as he stepped out of the bakery. Chat Noir could be anywhere.

"Bye Uncle Roger." Marinette said, standing at the door of the bakery. He smiled back at the young woman and gave her a mock-salute before turning to the next house that he would be searching.

Marinette let out a breath and walked back into the bakery where the employees where working very efficiently. She smiled at them, her baking was done and now she needed to read a few chapters of the textbook that her lecturer had demanded them to read.

It was a bit disconcerting seeing Paris so tense. Everyone seemed to be behaving normally but the tension in their bodies and the foreboding atmosphere that surrounded the city was choking her.

She had to understand though, seeing as nobody else -but her- knew about Adrien being unharmed. Still, she felt uncomfortable as she began to walk up to her living room.

"Marinette!" Someone said.

The bluenette turned and a bright smile lit up her face.

"Marcus!...Oh no…I completely forgot about lunch." She said with a mortified look.

The model grinned. "Well, it's a good thing I'm here to remind you, isn't it?" He said.

Marinette smiled.

"Apparently so." She said. Marcus smiled and pulled out a bouquet of roses from behind his back. They were absolutely beautiful!

She gasped.

"Aww Marcus, you didn't have to get me these." She said, sniffing a rose from the huge bouquet.

"Well yes, but I wanted to."

Marinette looked up at him with a delicate smile.

"They're beautiful." She said before thinking about whether or not she looked the same.

She looked down at her outfit, well it actually looked presentable… she was in a sunshine yellow sundress that was tight around her chest and flowed out from beneath her bust to above her knee, and she had beige flats on.

Her hair was open but not really set and she only had a bracelet on.

She looked back at the Model who looked immaculate in his black suit with his sleeves rolled up and his hair flicked back.

She suddenly felt plain.

"Uhh…I should go change." She says.

He tilts his head.

Marcus looks at her with a confused expression.

' _He called her princess on the broadcast…'_ He thought.

"But Princess, I think you look beautiful as is."

Marinette blushes and blinks rapidly.

Marcus holds his arm out to her and smiles. She studies him for a moment, glances down at his awaiting arm and then slowly, she places her hand on it.

He turns and begins to lead her out of the bakery.

"Soooo… Where are we going?"

"Well, I thought it would be nice to eat at a restaurant. There's one that just opened a block or two from here, and there's a table that has our names on it."He says with a wink.

Marinette laughs.

"You made a reservation?" She asks.

"Of course, princess." He says with a grin.

Marinette sighs to herself, Chat was such a strange person, was he aiming to make her fall in love with both sides? Was he testing if she could love the other side of him too?

The two walked down the street, and Marinette took the opportunity to study Marcus's features.

Did his powers really change his features that much?

"I hope you like Italian food." He said with a glance at her.

"Oh, I love it!" She said happily.

"Great, then you'll love this place!" Marcus says as they enter the restaurant.

* * *

Adrien wrinkled his nose in disgust at the fried chips, using his napkin to absorb the greasiness.

"This is so bad for my health." Adrien says.

Nino shrugs, shoving four more fries into his mouth and continues frying burger patties.

Adrien eyes him.

"Have you ever heard of cholesterol?"

"Have you ever heard of Chill Pills?"

"You mean _Lorazepam_?"Adrien asks, tilting his head. Nino looks at him blankly.

"No Kid, he's saying you need to relax." Plagg says from his perch on Adrien's head.

Adrien's mouth forms an O.

Plagg had calmed down greatly and was now relaxing after eating several wheels of camembert.

Nino flips another patty over in the pan.

"You don't have to eat that bro, it's just a snack, I'm about to introduce you to my good friend Mr Burger."

Adrien scowls.

"I've seen Mr Burger. Unfortunately we don't get on very well." he says with a pout.

Plagg looks down at Adrien.

"Ah Ah Ah. You promised that you would eat whatever I told you to for today."

"Yes but Plagg, I'm a heart doctor, and I know that isn't good for my heart Plagg…So much of grease…"Adrien whines.

"Kid, shut up and live for once." Plagg says.

Adrien frowns.

Nino looks at him and he sighs.

"Well, you know, we don't really have to necessarily eat unhealthy, as long as you actually start eating food… I guess I can restock my fridge to compensate for you, but dude, it's okay to eat like a pig every once in a while."

Adrien looks at Nino.

He suddenly walks up the stairs to Nino's room. Nino stares after him, but after a minute, Adrien comes down the stairs with the huge bag he had brought before.

He unzips it and pulls out a large stack of money. Nino gawks.

"Dude, what the eff."He says.

Adrien rolls his eyes.

"You didn't think I would be here without actually contributing to the household, did you?"

Nino blinks and scratches his neck sheepishly.

"Well, you're Chat Noir, you can do whatever you want." He shrugs.

"I really don't like free stuff. So whenever you're going to buy something, feel free to take from the bag." Adrien says, placing the bag on the table.

Nino eyes it suspiciously and unzips it. He freezes when he notices the ungodly amount of money in the bag.

"Adrien, don't you think they're going to look at your bank account and notice that you made a huge withdrawal? This looks like a frigging million bro." Nino says with furrowed brows and pursed lips.

"Well not really, this is from my personal vault back home, and nobody but me knows where it is or how much was in it before." Adrien says.

Nino looks at him.

"But I have no issue paying for the things you need." Nino says.

Adrien snorts.

"Oh, but you will." He says. He points up at Plagg. "He eats nothing short of thirty wheels of Camembert a week. My medication costs a whole lot as well. Not to mention my shampoo since I hate dandruff-"Adrien says before Plagg butts in.

"-and Marinette has this obsession with playing with his hair so dandruff wouldn't be good for anyone-"Plagg says.

"Not to mention the fact that you only have one bed upstairs…I don't want to sleep on the couch-"

"-and I don't want to sleep on Adrien sleeping on the couch because whenever he's on the couch he wriggles-"Plagg continues.

"-not to mention the humidity in here is drying out my skin-"Adrien murmurs.

"-and the only perfume this kid can use is Ungaro iii-"Plagg says.

"-since that's the only one that doesn't make Plagg's sinuses act up-"Adrien adds.

"-and it mingles with his suit material to give that subtle spicy, smooth, mysterious scent-"Plagg says.

"-and the best part is nobody can figure out what scent it is when the suit is on-"Adrien says to Plagg who nods vigorously in agreement.

"OOOOOKAYYYY!"Nino says, clapping his hands together. "You both lead very expensive lives."

Adrien rubs the back of his neck.

Nino just chuckles and puts the stove off.

"Well, I might as well start grocery shopping now." He says, going to slip on a jacket.

"You mean you're going to buy healthy, nutritious food?" Adrien asks.

Nino huffs.

"Yes, I'm going to buy healthy nutritious food."

"And no boxed foods?"

Nino sighs before nodding. "No boxed foods."

Adrien smiles a bit.

Plagg looks down at the young man, noticing the change in him, but he says nothing as he resettles himself in the soft blond hair on his chosen one's head.

* * *

Marinette watches as Marcus plays with the food on his plate, hardly eating any of the pasta. She frowns. In all honesty, three bites of the meal was all he ate. As if noticing her staring, he looks up at her.

"Am I that handsome?" He asks with a grin.

Marinette scoffs.

"I was just wondering if you were just going to keep pushing your food around or if you were going to actually eat it."She says, swirling the contents of her glass.

He looks at his food and back at her.

"Urm, well I don't really feel all that hungry."He says.

Marinette tilts her head.

The magic must have changed his voice too because it was higher than she remembered it.

Something inside her said that it was too much of a change, and that this was very odd, but the other part of her banished the thought as quickly as it came.

She sighed.

"Please eat your food."She said in a sad tone.

Marcus blinked at her sudden change in demeanor.

"Okay…"He said quickly, adjusting the fork and beginning to eat the pasta.

Internally he gagged. This was going to be bad for him later, he couldn't risk putting on weight…but with each passing day, Chloe and her threats became worse and worse and as much as he hated himself for what he was going to do, he had no other choice.

He swallowed and held his breath, holding back the urge to go and vomit it out. He looked up at the smiling, innocent girl before him and hated himself more.

What was he supposed to do?

Let his family get kicked out of the country, let them die out there in the cruel world? How could he?

None of this was his fault, and he knew that, so he didn't understand how he landed himself in such a dilemma. How did he get sucked into this? How did he get sucked into a plan that involved him kidnapping, hurting, and killing the pure, innocent angel before him?

How could he be such a monster?

No, he wasn't the monster, he was just the pawn.

Sent to do that vile creature's bidding…

He finished eating.

"How was the food?" The waiter asked kindly. He looked up at the waiter, getting drawn out of his thoughts. He smiled at the man along with Marinette.

"It was marvelous. Give my compliments to the chef." Marinette said happily. The waiter smiled broadly.

"I shall, m'lady."

Marcus nodded at the waiter before he and Marinette exited the restaurant.

"Well, that was delicious." He said with a grin.

"It really was. And good on you for finishing your food, Mr Model." Marinette giggled.

Marcus bowed dramatically.

"Anything to impress you, gorgeous."

He winked, and Marinette flushed.

* * *

Nino walked through the grocery store, annoyed. He didn't do this healthy thing, everything he ate came out of a box or was brought by a delivery man during the day. He huffed. His best bet was to get green stuff…and meat…yes meat sounded good.

Did this mean he would be learning how to cook?

He groaned, he had no idea how to.

With a heavy sigh, he tossed the packet of kale into the trolley. For a second he looked up out the window and saw a brunette and a bluenette walking down the street, arms linked.

He smiled at the couple and went back to his shopping before his smile slipped off his face and he spun around to watch the couple again.

That…That was Marinette! He rushed towards the window and stared at the two. What the heck was she doing with _that_ guy?

He frowned deeply. He had been under the impression that she and Chat Noir were together… But looking at these two…

They looked very…cushy and cuddly.

He blinked rapidly, trying to understand. He was overreacting…Marinette could have been on a friendly date with this guy, he went on friendly dates with Mari all the time.

Suddenly the brunette placed a kiss on his petite friend.

Nino gasped, affronted. He placed a hand on his chest and looked at the brunette disgustedly.

Now he knew he wore glasses, but his eyesight wasn't bad enough to miss the close proximity of that peck from Marinette's mouth.

He knew what he had to do. He picked up his phone.

One ring,two ring, three ring –"Hello?"A pretty voice said.

Nino smiled.

"Hey baby."

"Hey my little Nemo, how are you? Wait, don't answer that, you don't call me before three, and since you are, it means you're probably out somewhere confused, tell Alya what's wrong babe." Alya said.

Nino chuckled.

"Well, I just saw something very confusing."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah… Mari was walking down the street with a guy…"

"A GUY?!"

"I know! An actual guy!But like, I don't think either of us have even met the guy before. I'm pretty sure I've seen his face somewhere…"

Alya was quiet for a moment.

"What's he look like?"Alya asked.

"He a brunette, urm,he's really hot I guess babe, he looks like a model."

"Looks like a model… Nemo are you sure he has brown hair, is it not just the lighting?"Alya asked as Nino watched the couple sit down and feed birds.

"Pretty certain."

"…But that makes no sense…"

"What do you mean?"  
"…Nothing babe."

"I also saw something so I want to know what it means."

"What did you see?"

"Well brownie over here kissed Marinette's cheek, but it was pretty close to the mouth, and Marinette didn't push him away or anything baby… does this mean that this guy and Marinette are…"

"It means he's into her of course…But…but it can't be, I haven't even heard about this guy before now, and it makes no sense…"Alya trails off.

"Baby, what aren't you telling me?"

"…It's nothing." Alya said with a sigh.

"Baby come on, we both know it's not nothing if you sigh when you say 'it's nothing'." Nino said as the couple disappeared from view.

"It really is just an assumption, I mean I could be entirely wrong." Alya said in a rush.

Nino rolled his eyes as he made his way over to the till.

"You're stalling."

"I'm not." Alya huffed.

"You are baby." Nino said as he watched the cashier scan the items.

"I'm not, I just don't want to tell you something if I don't know the full truth, and also it seems a bit far-fetched." Alya said, beginning to ramble.

Nino picked up the bags and walked over to the car, placing them in the boot as he balanced his phone between his ear and his shoulder.

He generally didn't use his car when he walked around Paris, but when shopping for a glutton like Plagg, it was mandatory.

He got into the car and locked the doors.

"Baby, tell me, please?" He said tentatively.

Alya sighed.

"Well…I was kind of thinking… that maybe…"She sighed again.

"That maybe…?"

"Okay look, ever since the exhibition, Marinette has been acting strange, actually ever since Chat Noir saved her from that creepy rapist forensic douchebag, I know I haven't been in Paris much but normally she's with me 24/7, she barely even let us visit her that week. Then we see footage of Chat Noir carrying that girl out and screw me for saying this but that body looked a hell of a lot like a blue haired designer I know, and also, I saw the woman's doodling pad, and she's not that subtle about drawing black cats not to mention she has blonde strands of hair all over her chaise, and let me tell you, that hair is way too soft to be Rose's hair,"

Nino calmly started the car, already knowing that Marinette was the one associating with the villain.

"And then when she phones it's like I can smell the pheromones coming off her, and did you see her recent obsession with Camembert? Marinette hates Camembert! Why would she suddenly stock the whole damn pantry with that stinky stuff?"

"And she doesn't like when I video chat after five, we used to do it all the time but recently she's been telling me to phone during the day,"

Nino just chuckled at Alya's conclusions.

"AAAAND, if that isn't proof enough, then what about her sudden change in food choices!I mean we all know Marinette HATES dieting, so why the heck would she stock up on all that healthy stuff? She loves her junk!"

Nino's eyes widened and he gulped, thinking about the healthy food in his boot. He laughed nervously.

"I have no idea." He said.

Alya sighed.

"I think Marinette and Chat Noir are a thing." Alya says plainly.

Nino frowns. If he agreed he would be encouraging her idea.

If he disagreed he would have to lie to her…but it would be safer for everyone.

He ignored the pang of guilt in his chest.

"I don't know baby, this is Marinette we're talking about, if anything she would be trying to bring the villain down, not befriending let alone loving the guy."Nino said.

"But you know how she gets, she sees the good in everyone." Alya said.

Nino scoffs. "Not true, she never saw the good in Chloe."he said.

"That's because there really is no good in that witch." Alya said.

Nino sighed.

"Baby, don't you think Marinette would have said something to you, I mean she doesn't hide anything from you, and I doubt she's starting now."

"…I know but…She didn't tell me she was seeing a guy today." Alya reasons.

"Yes, but this guy could be anyone, he's not necessarily Chat Noir."

"I gueeeesss, urgh this is so confusing!"Alya groaned.

"I know baby, this pisses us all off." He says, feeling terrible for lying but understanding that the secret he knew was not his secret to share.

Someone says something in the background, Alya responded.

"Babe, I have to go, phone me at nine?"

"Okay Sunshine, I will, I love you." He said.

"I love you too,Nemo."She made a kissing noise and Nino smiled as she ended the call. He parked his car and looked at his apartment.

Should he tell Chat? He frowned. It was possible that he was overreacting about the brunette guy. He could have been a friend who Marinette went out with, he didn't want Marinette to get in trouble with Chat, and he knew Marinette was not the kind of woman to cheat, it was against her morale.

He shook his head. He would keep the information to himself for now. He knew that he would have to confront Marinette later about it. He sighed. How did he get himself into this again?

* * *

Chat hung around a nearby rooftop as Nino's apartment was searched. It was late and he wondered if Marinette had seen the huge, fluffy bear he sent her. He grinned dopily thinking about Marinette.

She was just so amazing, in every way. He sighed happily, watching the policemen leave Nino's place. Once they were all gone he slinked into the apartment.

"Did they find anything?" He asked Nino.

Nino rolled his eyes.

"Oh yes of course, they know everything, but they just decided to leave me behind because I'm cute." He said.

Chat detransformed.

"But that's so weird because you really aren't cute." Plagg says.

Adrien snickers.

"So Plagg, are you ever going to tell me what you meant when you said I'm going to be a miraculous wielder?"

Plagg grins.

"Nope. I love when I leave you guys on cliff-hangers so that I can watch you suffer in agony while you're wishing you know what's going to happen next but having no clue whatsoever even though I know exactly what's going to happen and when it will happen."

Adrien and Nino stare at each other in confusion.

"Urrrm… Okay." Nino says as he heads into the kitchen. Adrien goes to lie on the couch.

After eating a whole lot of grilled chicken and salad, Adrien yawned. It was around four-thirty. It meant he would be able to see Marinette very soon.

Nino regarded the blonde.

"So Adrien. How did you come to like Marinette?" He asked.

Adrien blushed.

"It's complicated." He said.

Nino tilted his head.

"You know her parents are coming home, really soon, right?" He said slowly.

Adrien looked at Nino with a frown.

"I suppose they are."Adrien says.

"That means it's going to be a bit harder to be there." Nino says, he knew it was cruel to burst the blonde's bubble but he needed to know.

Plagg snoozed on the model's flat tummy.

"I'll speak to her tonight." Adrien says thoughtfully.

"You're going there tonight?" Nino asks in confusion. "But you went last night." He says.

Adrien nods.

"I go there every night." He says with a light laugh.

He looks at the clock.

"Do you love Marinette?" Nino asks.

Adrien tenses up.

Nino just stares at him.

"Do you really love Marinette?" Nino asks again.

Adrien knows that he does, but why would Nino want to know this?

"I do. I really do love her." He says quietly.

Nino looks at him for a moment.

"What if she doesn't love you?" Nino asks. Adrien's eyes dart up to meet Nino's.

Adrien's eyebrows furrow, and he blinks rapidly.

"I…I…I think she does love me." Adrien says.

"But what would happen if she was in love with someone else?" Nino asks hesitantly.

Adrien purses his lips.

"Well that person will not live to see another day. I'd rip his heart out of his chest, tear it in two, stuff it in his eye sockets and put his eyeballs where his heart once was." He answered bluntly.

Nino frowned.

"What if she was happy with this person?" Nino asks.

"If she's in love with me, why would she be happier with this person?" Adrien asks in confusion.

Nino rubs his temples.

"Let's just say Marinette knows a guy, and she sees this person all the time, and she only sees you in the evenings, and she starts falling for the person she sees all the time, and she eventually loves them more than you, then what?"

Adrien looks dazed.

"But that person would be dead because I would find out and kill them…So why should I worry?"

"What if this person made her happy, more than you ever could, and he wanted her and she wanted him."

Adrien's eyes flash and Nino falters.

"It wouldn't matter if he wanted her, she's mine, she promised, she said forever, and that means till the day she dies and in the lifetime after, she's mine now, she's mine when she's dead and she's mine for all the timezones between her death and the afterlife."

Nino blinks at Adrien.

"But how do you know you love her if you won't give up your happiness for hers."

Adrien tilts his head.

"I don't have to give up my happiness… You see, I don't particularly believe in the saying 'if you love someone, let them go.' I think that if you love someone you have the ability to choose putting in the effort of being the best person you can be so that they love you back."

"You can't force love, Adrien."

"You can't, but that doesn't mean you have to stop trying like a quitter."

"Winners know when to stop."

"A quitter never wins and a winner never quits."

"That's not the point." Nino says.

"Then what is the point?" Adrien asks.

"I'm saying would you be willing to give up your happiness for hers?"

"Absolutely." Adrien says without hesitation.

"What if her happiness meant her being with someone else? Would you love her enough to die without her?" Nino asks, and he can't understand why he is asking all these questions.

Adrien looks at the ground. He blinks rapidly for a minute. He looks up at Nino.

"Do you love Alya?" He asks quietly.

"Of course." Nino says immediately.

"Do you think anyone else could make her happier? There are billions of people on this earth. Out of all of them, why do you feel you should be with her? There are at least a million other people who could make her happier, so why do you stay with her even though you know that there are plenty other humans who could complete the job?"

"Because I…love her…"

"But they could make her happier. Even so, would you give her up?"

"If she found one of those people, I guess…"

Adrien shakes his head.

"Even if she did, you would never stand by and let it happen, would you? You wouldn't let the person take her away without a fight. But why would you fight even if they could make her happier?"

"…because I need her."

Adrien nods.

"You don't realize, you're selfish. You want her, and you need her because you feel complete with her. Even though she could complete a thousand or a million other men, you keep her for yourself, because you love her, and you're selfish." Adrien says.

Nino feels like the air in his lungs has been knocked out.

"Plagg, transform me."

In a flash of green, the black-clad villain exits the apartment, and darts across the rooftops. It doesn't take him long to reach his destination.

The darkened sky and heavy atmosphere clawed at his body and sent shivers up his spine as his mind raced. It was racing faster than normal and he couldn't stop it. Why were these thoughts coming back now?

Why were his doubts and insecurities sprouting up again? He couldn't understand. Why were Nino's words affecting him so much? He shook his head, banishing his thoughts and opening Marinette's trapdoor. He slipped through and scanned the room.

Marinette replaced her journal as she looked at the supervillain crouched on her bed.

She had just finished her shower and had closed up the bakery half an hour ago.

"Well it seems cat's do always land on their-"She grinned but her comment was interrupted when she was unceremoniously slammed onto the wall and kissed heatedly. Her eyes had closed the moment his lips had made contact with hers and her words were swallowed up by his mouth.

For a moment, just before her thoughts became a jumbled mess, she wondered why Chat's movements were so tense. It seemed as if he was almost desperate to convey something to her.

He held her tightly against his body with one arm while the other tangled itself in her hair.

Marinette's left arm was hooked under Chat's arm while her hand splayed on his back. Her right hand moved slowly up his chest, to his neck,into his hair and down to his jaw. For a minute he kissed her only with his lips, but it seemed that he remembered his heritage as he tilted his head and slipped his tongue into her mouth.

The move startled Marinette but she never faltered as she kissed back with the same ferocity. If the noise that Chat's throat emitted was anything to go by, she was doing something right.

She tilted her head to the right, finding it easier to fully capture his kisses that way and Chat was more than willing to give her as much she wanted. He nipped her bottom lip and reveled in the whimpers and moans that she involuntarily made.

It was easy to lose himself in the kiss, the fiery passion and raw need from both sides made it easy for him to do so.

He loved her. He loved her so much, and as he desperately gripped her waist, he tried to convey just how much without taking advantage of her. He needed her so much. Every small quirk of hers, he needed her. This wasn't even a game anymore. This had nothing to do with being entertained.

He hoisted her up onto his waist and she wrapped her legs and arms around him.

He put everything he had into the kiss, only breaking away to trail breathless kisses across her collarbone and along her jaw, extracting little gasps and moans from the dizzied woman, and when he was done, he was kissing her again.

He didn't want her to stop, he felt like she still didn't understand. In fact, he knew she didn't understand.

To her, he may have been just a case of charity and kindness, but even so, she was his everything.

Nothing made sense without her. He didn't want anyone to have her. Last night when he thought of letting her be happy with someone better than him, he banished the thoughts when she said she only wanted him…So why now, not even a day later was he so desperate to make sure she was telling the truth?

Why was he so scared? Why was he almost trembling as her hand grazed his neck, why was he so afraid that this would only be temporary. She had promised…But she deserved someone better, and he knew that.

He pulled back, gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against hers.

"Chat…Kitty…Why are you crying?" Marinette asked softly.

Chat blinked his eyes open before choking out a laugh.

"Because I'm selfish too." He said.

Marinette frowned and wiped his tears away.

"What do you want me to do if you love someone else?" He said, hating how his voice broke at the end.

Marinette looked at him in confusion.

"Chat I don't love anyone else." She said to him but he shook his head.

"What if three years from now, there's a guy who makes you happier than you've ever been with me, what then?" He asked almost desperately.

Marinette cupped his cheek.

"I only see you." She said as he let her feet touch the floor again and held her face with both his gloved hands.

"Things can change. Things change all the time. I hated you. I wanted to hurt you…But now I love you, and I'd do anything to protect you. I want you to be happy but I don't want to let you be happy without me."He said, slipping down to fall on his knees in front of her, his arms encircled her waist and his face was buried in the fabric covering her abdomen.

"And I'm sorry, because I don't want you to love anyone else but me... The worst part is that I know that even if you fall in love with someone else,I'll die. I will die. I will die Marinette."He said forcing back his tears.

Marinette becomes alarmed as the trembling rolls off Chat's body onto hers.

She drops to her knees, lifting his face.

"I will not do that-"

"You don't know that, anything is possible-"

"Only if you believe it to be possible-"

"You don't understand-"

"Chat-"

"Everyone I have ever loved has turned on me. And I've protected myself from loving anyone else ever since, but somehow you've lodged yourself in my disgusting heart and if you go you're going to knock down the balance I have."

Marinette forced his head up.

"I'm not going anywhere,okay. You're insane. I know that. I know you expect me to run for the hills. But when I said forever, I meant it. I meant it Chat Noir or whoever the hell you are underneath this mask.I made a promise , it may be idiotic to be in love with someone whose name I'm not even certain of, who I've known for such a short time, who hates sugar, but believe me when I say I love you."

She kissed him, and drew back.

"I love you."

She kissed him again, forcing every emotion she possibly could into the kiss,trying to make him understand that she meant what she said.

"Even when you don't believe me, I'll still love you."She whispered, but this time he was the one to crash his lips upon eased onto the floor, taking her with him, he held her tightly,possessively,and eventually he drew back.

"I love you too."He murmured against her mouth, only for her to hear,and she heard it,and she believed it.

She lay in his arms and the couple stayed like that.

Marinette frowned into his chest.

She was such an idiot. She wasn't even certain that Marcus was Chat.

She was working with assumptions. There was a huge possibility that he wasn't, and if he wasn't and Chat found out, everyone would be headed for a world of pain.

She would stay away from Marcus for some time, if he was Chat then she was certain she would pick up on the signs, but until then,she would stay clear of him.

Marinette scratched his scalp, running her fingers through his hair.

Chat caught her hand and brought her palm to his lips, giving it a kiss.

"Did you like your bear?" He asked and Marinette grinned as she propped herself up on his chest, and glanced at the Panda bear that was double her size in the corner of her room. She had him thoroughly searched by one of her male employees before she let him in. He was the softest, cutest bear ever.

"I _love_ my bear." She teased, pecking him quickly.

Chat growled. "That traitor, I never saw this coming." He said dramatically.

Marinette giggled as he sat up with her and hopped up to her loft.

"Did you eat today?" She asked him.

"Three times, princess." He said, shivering in disgust as they settled under the covers.

"Well I did too." She said as she settled into his arms.

"So I was thinking, what happens to us when your parents come back?"Chat murmured against Marinette's neck.

Marinette grinned and turned in his arms.

"Is someone worried he may get caught by my parents?"Marinette said.

"Well actually, yes, I am."Chat said with a small pout.

"Fear not, Marinette has made arrangements." She smirked at him.

Chat grinned at her.

"Why is Marinette speaking in third person?" He asked.

"Marinette thinks it's funny." She said.

"Does she now?"

"She does." Marinette said.

"And what would these arrangements be?"

"Well I'm going to get an apartment." She said with a smile.

"Where about?" Chat asked with a raised brow.

"Well…This is 12 Gotlib street…And the Apartment I'm going to get it 38 Gotlib Street."Marinette said with a laugh.

"Sounds good,as long as this bed goes with you, it's incredibly comfortable and warm."Chat said, snuggling closer to her.

"That's because you're stealing all my warmth here." Marinette huffed.

"It could be that or it could be that this bed has magical properties."

"It's my warmth!"

"Is it? Is it really?"Chat asked.

"Yes, yes it is!"

Chat chuckled, "Now now, princess,I know you love me, but there's no need for screaming as yet." He winked.

"You little pervert." Marinette said grabbing a pillow and whacking him as he laughed at her attempts to knock him out.

God, he loved this woman.

* * *

Cable ties, check.

Gag, check.

Rope, check.

An assortment of whips, check.

Secluded area in abandoned warehouse, check.

Camera, check.

Matches,check.

Gasoline,check.

Two plane tickets to Italy, check.

Chloe grinned at her list. Marcus said that his date had gone well with Marinette. She advised him to leave her alone for a while, if she knew anything about Marinette, it was that she believed in signs and destiny, and Chloe knew that signs could always be manipulated.

She knew Marcus didn't know much about Chat, neither did she, but she knew overkilling Marcus' presence in Marinette's life would make the bluenette realise more with each passing day that Marcus was not Chat Noir at all. She had to be careful.

* * *

Gabriel looked at the man before him. He was young, no more than 28, but if his scars were anything to go by, this was a man of action.

"So you're telling me that you've not realised that his powers are not from this world?" The man snickered.

"Dear lord you Parisians are dumb!" The man laughed loudly.

Gabriel pursed his lips.

"I need to know now, can you find my son?" He asked, cutting through the man's laughter.

The man chuckled.

"I'm not a human tracker. But I can catch this Chat Noir guy, after that we can get your son back." He said.

"Chat Noir is dangerous. He's like nothing you've ever seen."

The man clucked his tongue.

"Be that as it may, he is most definitely human beneath that mask. That means there's something giving him power, if we take his power source, or find out how he attained his power, if it's within him like suddenly part of his DNA or triggered by a trinket of some sort, we have him cornered. Everything has a weakpoint. You find that point, and then you can destroy anything."

"How are you so certain something is giving him his power? What if he was born with it?" Gabriel asked.

The man smirked, toying with the little brooch in his pocket. He ran his fingers over the sapphires and smooth silver. He was certain the old man he had seen all those years ago was still wracking his brains, wondering why he could not get the woman out of the trinket in his possession, because the old man knew that even if the trinket was broken, it still worked the same. Oh if only he knew the truth.

If only the man in front of him knew the truth.

"Let's just say I have a miraculous gift of intuition."

 **A/N: Confused? You should be!**

 **Hey guys, just wanted to let you know that I've really missed you all!Exams are over, finally! I want to thank everyone who has read, reviewed, favourite and followed while I was away!LOVE YOU!**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!I love love loooove reading your reviews, it truly does keep me going!**

 **Also be sure to follow me on Instagram rara_erza_heartfilia**

 **Send ART!SKETCH SKETCH SKETCH!**

 **Till the next chapter!**

 **XOXO**

 **Ra Ra**


	22. Engraved

It had been a rather disturbing week for the citizens of Paris. For one, the doctors around Paris were being scrutinised. If someone had helped in those abortions, they ought to know the patient. The problem lay in their sworn confidentiality. The children around Paris were become more and more withdrawn, and some of them had begun asking questions, questions that their parents were not ready to answer.

' _What's an abortion,Maman?...Oh,is that what Aunty Kate did?Is aunty Kate who Chat Noir is looking for?'_

' _Papa, why is Adrien crying?'_

' _How did those kitties get hurt?'_

' _Did someone hurt Chat Noir to make him so angry?'_

But as they asked more and more questions, thoughts lodged themselves in the minds of the adults all over the city. It became clear to them that everything that Chat Noir was doing was done out of anger. It should have been obvious, but until the last broadcast, everyone had just written it off as him being a maniac.

However those foetuses did not fall out of the sky. There was no stork. No mail delivering system. Someone, a female someone had done that. And as much as Chat Noir was sick, he was extremely angry. Some Parisians argued that it was a good thing that Chat Noirs love one had gotten hurt, because he had felt the pain they felt when their loved ones where attacked. However these very people were shut up terribly soon when a close inspection on the victims had shown that they were people with criminal records. The police had no idea what to make of this information. Other Parisians argued that Chat Noir had every right to be pissed off, his authority(even though he shouldn't have had it) was being undermined and it was a great insult and blow to his persona.

The city had seen a huge decline in attacks, but strangely, there was an increase in the number of criminals knocked unconscious, beat up, slashed and dropped outside the door of the police station. Chat Noir was still very much active. They knew that.

The air in the city was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Everyone seemed to be almost robotic. It had been a two weeks since Adrien Agreste had gone missing.

Just looking at the shoulders of the citizens would diverge just how tense they all were. They sky was a constant grey mass, and when it wasn't grey, the people were grey.

It was unnerving. Marinette pursed her lips as she awaited the arrival of her parents. She was at the airport, watching as the planes took off and descended. Somewhere, high up in the shadowy beams of the airport lay Chat, perched leisurely across a beam, thin enough to lay flat on it and still remain unseen. He kept his focus on Marinette, worried about her being out at this time. He knew he could protect her if he needed to, but he didn't want her to get caught in such a situation. He sighed, rolling over and propping himself up on his elbows. She looked to be deep in thought.

He frowned. What could she be thinking so hard about? Chat cocked his head, he hadn't done anything wrong…or too wrong recently. He was eating, he took his medication religiously…he didn't attack anyone too badly…No, it couldn't be him.

…What if she liked someone?

He snarled at himself. That was an idiotic thought. No, Marinette wasn't like that. His eyebrows furrowed as he wrecked his brain trying to figure out the cause of her expression.

He would have to ask Nino. Chat had to admit, Nino did know a thing or two about relationships. After their 'fight' Nino had dropped the topic, but Adrien had overheard how easily Nino diverted arguments with Alya, he had to commend him for that, and perhaps ask him how he did it. He watched Marinette turn around and wait for her parents, she looked over at the disembarking passengers and stood on her tip-toes to find her parents. Chat glanced down at the sea of people and tried to figure out which ones were Marinette's parents.

He stared at one peculiar looking couple, a Chinese woman next to a huge, monster of a man. He tilted his head and stared down at them. Green eyes widened as Marinette threw herself on the man before a smile overtook his face as he watched the exchange, happy that Marinette had a family that loved her so immensely. Her father picked her up, high above his head and twirled,as if she were still a baby, and her mother hauled her in for a hug just as her father set her back on the ground. He felt warm, just watching the intimacy of the family, but a cold pang stung at his chest as he thought about his own family. He had not yet heard about his father, nor his reaction to his son's disappearance. All he knew was that his father had returned to Paris. Chat sighed, he guessed that his father was worried about what would happen to his company now that his son was missing. Chat shook his thoughts away. Marinette told him that it was a happy evening, and a happy evening it would be. He quietly slinked across the beams as the family began to walk towards the car waiting outside, and once they entered, he slipped out the doors of the airport. The car began to move and Chat dutifully followed it at a safe distance to ensure that his girlfriend and her parents got home without any hassle. Once at her house, he let himself in and sat quietly on the bed. The house was quiet except for the sounds of the house going under lockdown. Chat frowned at the quietness before waves of laughter flowed through the household.

"It was utterly amazing! Oh my gosh and the Phi Phi islands! And the WATER!It's like this clear-"Someone Chat assumed was Marinette's mum, said.

"No no it was clearer! It was like glass, but more watery…"Someone Chat assume was her father said.

"Well, it would have to be watery papa, seeing as it _is_ water." Marinette laughed out.

Chat laid back on the bed with a fond smile, listening to their conversation with his enhanced hearing.

"Enough about us, we were so worried about you. I know you told us daily that there was nothing to worry about but so much has been happening here in Paris…Oh baby, thank God for your safety." Marinette's mum said.

"It's not fair that you didn't let us come home early." Her dad grumbled.

"Papa, you both really needed the getaway." Marinette said.

"Yeah but we could have had a getaway watching the 'getaway places' on TV." Her father said.

"Oh Tom, be grateful that your daughter is selfless." Marinette's mum said.

"But Sabiiiine…"Tom whined.

"No buts, now Mari sweetie, are you sure about wanting to have your own apartment? It's awfully lonely." Sabine said.

"I'm positive. I handled the fort fine for a month, so I think I'll survive." Marinette said with a smile evident in her voice.

"Your dad and I are paying for it." Her mum said with finality.

"But Moooom-"Marinette whined.

"Mari, remember you're still studying, you can pay once you're done with your degree. Till then, Papa and I will cover you. You are getting older, and we understand that you hardly ever have time to study with all the noise around here, so this was a wise decision on your part darling." Sabine said.

"Your mum's right kiddo. But first we have to check out the lockdown system on that house." Tom said.

"I already did, it's fully functional." Marinette said.

"That's great!" Sabine said.

"Most of my things are packed… I could move in tomorrow…"Marinette said.

There's a moment of silence.

"But…does this mean you're moving out forever?" Tom asked sadly.

Marinette is quiet.

"Can't you come stay with us during the holidays? Or maybe for a few more years after you're done studying?" Sabine asked hopefully.

"We'll see what happens Mama, you guys know I really love you both, right?" Marinette asked.

"Of course…It's just…weird having you go so far…"

"Papa, it's literally a few doors away." Marinette laughed.

"Yeah but like the concept!" Tom groaned.

Marinette laughed again.

"I'll be fine, I promise." She said confidently.

Tom sighed.

Chat shifted on the bed into a cross-legged position.

"Oh Tom, leave her be, she's capable of taking care of herself, right darling?" Sabine seemingly asked Marinette who Chat assumed had nodded seeing as she did not speak.

"Now tell us sweetie, what's been happening with the Adrien case, did they find anything? Any leads?" Sabine asked.

Marinette sighed.

"I wished they did mum, I'm so worried that he may be hurt…Or worse, dead." Marinette said in a sad voice.

Chat snickered. Marinette was an excellent liar it seemed when it came to her parents.

"It's such a shame. I do hope this all ends soon." Tom said.

Chat smiled ruefully. "As do I." He said to himself, ever so quietly.

After a bit of small talk, the family agreed that it had been a long, exhausting trip and that they should all head to bed. Marinette entered through the trap door and shut it behind her, before turning to come face to face with the purring villain.

"Hi there." He said as he looked down into her eyes.

"Chat!" Marinette hissed. Her eyes darted to the trapdoor on the floor.

"Princess." Chat said, taking a step back to bow elegantly.

"What are you doing here?" She asked in a rush.

"Well, I was under the impression that you missed me too." Chat said with a little pout.

Marinette rolled her eyes.

"Oh kitty, you know I have, but my parents are here." She said with a little whine.

"But princess, I'm being quiet." Chat said, looking at her with innocent eyes.

"I know you are, but my parents tend to check up on me a lot." Marinette said as her eyes darted from him to the trapdoor.

Chat tilted his head. "Then I can hide." he said simply.

"You're a tall male, clad in black, with an infamous reputation in a room themed pink. Where would you hide?" Marinette asked as the villain smirked and sauntered over to the chaise.

"Truthfully I was never really good at hide and go seek. However I would most certainly hide properly if I needed to, but as to my hiding spot, well, I require payment for that kind of information." Chat grinned evilly, his eyes glinting with mischief.

Marinette raised a brow as they came to a stop next to the chaise.

"We accept payment in kisses only." Chat said, wiggling his brows.

Marinette blushed and rolled her eyes as Chat pulled her closer, his head began to dip and their eyes began to flutter shut…when all of a sudden Marinette's trapdoor flew open.

The same went for the eyes of the couple as they stared at each other in horror. Chat was about to turn and dart out the trapdoor above her bed, but the little lady had a different plan, swinging up the seating part of the chaise to reveal a hollow space underneath. She tossed him inside as slammed the chaise shut.

Chat lay uncomfortable and shocked inside the chaise. Firstly, he was unaware the top of the chaise was capable of swinging up to reveal a storing space and secondly, he had never seen Marinette move as fast as she did now, ever.

"Papa! W-what are you doing h-here?" Marinette laughed out nervously.

"Look darling, I brought you sand!" Tom said happily.

"Oh, cool! Let me see!" Marinette

"I know, oh and check out this scarf I got you!" Tom said giddily.

"Who whoa whoa, is this a cashmere scarf? It's so soft, it's almost like water. Thank you so much, Papa." Marinette said, and it sounded like she had given him a hug.

Chat forced his hands down as they reached up to shove the lid of the chaise open. He could stay calm. He was perfectly capable of such a simple task. He just needed to keep his eyes closed and pretend to be anywhere except trapped inside a dark, stuffy, small, confined space, trapped like the controlled, caged creature that he was.

His eyes shot open as two weights sat atop the 'lid'.

He wanted to get out, but he couldn't risk letting Marinette get caught.

"Well, I'll let you go to bed, now, you have a big day tomorrow, kiddo."

Marinette gave her father a kiss and saw him out the trapdoor. She quickly put a heavy chair on it and ran back to the chaise, flipping it open to reveal a pissed off Chat.

He looked up at her with narrowed eyes, clearly unimpressed by her course of action.

"Don't look at me like that." Marinette said with a groan.

Chat sat up. "Well, at least we're not in trouble."

Marinette snickered.

"What?" Chat asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"I'm just thinking about how weird it is that Chat Noir, the infamous villain was worried about getting caught by my parents. You've gone soft." Marinette cooed, patting his head.

Chat rolled his eyes.

"On the contrary my lady, had it been any other middle aged individuals, I would have had no problem dealing with them, however, seeing as these people are your parents, there isn't a lot that I can actually do with them without making you infuriated, now can I?" He drawled out.

He stepped out of the chaise gracefully.

"I guess not." Marinette said, walking to her dresser and pulling out sleepwear.

A light vibration noise caught her attention however, and she turned to the offending object –Her phone. Chat's eyes narrowed at the caller I.D.

"What does he want?" Chat pouted.

Marinette rolled her eyes.

"He's a friend. Friends phone each other." She said, picking up her phone.

Chat snuck up behind her and easily plucked the phone from her hands.

"Hey!" She exclaimed. "Give that back!"

Chat looked at her with a cocked brow. The de ja vu was uncanny.

"What for? He's threatening my wondrous presence." He said, looking at the picture of Marinette and Nathaniel distastefully.

"Well isn't that a shame." Marinette said, and stuck her tongue out at him.

Chat grinned. "Keep sticking that out and I may be tempted to bite it off, Princess." He said casually, effectively making Marinette pull her tongue back in.

"Chaaat, what if it's an emergency?" She said exasperatedly.

"Can't he phone someone else's human? You're my human, there's many more for him to choose from." Chat said in a matter of fact tone.

"You're missing the point, what if he was dying?" Marinette said, irritated.

"He isn't." Chat said as the ringing stopped

"And how are you so certain of that?"

"Uhh, animal instincts. Duhhh."Chat said, stressing the last syllable.

"Animal? You wish." Marinette snickered.

"Is that a challenge?" Chat said silkily, his tail wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer.

"It's a fact." Marinette said.

"My lady needs a lesson in 'fact or fiction'." Chat said with a flirtatious look.

Marinette blushed.

"I-"She started, but the phone rang once again.

Marinette looked at it.

"I should really answer him."

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?" Marinette asked confusedly.

"Why should you answer him?"

"He could be in need of help or inspiration or advice."

Chat swiped the phone, rejecting the call.

"Or he could be in love with you and may just want to speak to you." Chat said a little sharply.

Marinette frowned.

"I am allowed to talk to people Chat, whether they like me as a friend or something else."

Chat blinked.

"Do you want him to continue with having feelings for you?" He asked quietly.

Marinette looked at him oddly.

"No, I don't, but Nathaniel is my friend, even if he does have feelings for me, I feel a platonic kind of affection for him."

"Yes, but you haven't said that to him, have you?" Chat tilted his head.

Marinette's brows furrowed.

"Well…No…"

"Is there a particular reason?"

Marinette hesitated for a second.

Chat's eyes widened.

"You liked him. Didn't you?" He asked, but his tone made the inquiry sound more like a statement.

"That was ages ago." She said, almost ashamedly.

Chat's chest twisted.

"How long ago?" He asked, deceptively calm.

"Long before I met you or started University, it was like the first year of high-school." She said, embarrassedly.

"So what happened?" Chat asked.

"Huh?"

"Clearly he has feelings for you, and from the looks of him, I'd say he has had those feelings for years now. So if you and he both had feelings for each other, why are you both not together now?" He asked softly.

"I… I don't know. I guess I just stopped liking him in the romantic way and started seeing him as more of a brother." Marinette said as she rubbed the back of her neck.

Chat's eyes widened.

"Just like that?" He asked in horror.

"Just like what?"

"You had feelings…And then you just stopped. Boom, gone." Chat said.

"I think it was more of a crush, he's a nice person, but I don't feel any butterflies with him."

Chat looked at Marinette's face, searching her eyes for some sort of deception, but he found none.

He opened his mouth to speak but the phone rang a third time. He snarled, and before thinking, he answered the call.

"Would you quit it already!? Marinette is pooping right now, call back later." He said into the phone's microphone.

"CHAT!" Marinette hissed soft enough for Nathaniel not to hear but loud enough to make Chat realize that she was now very much infuriated, and mortified.

" _Who's this?"_

Chat cut the call and tossed the phone on the chaise.

"Pooping? Pooping? Really Chat?" Marinette groaned.

"Did he sound like he was dying? No, he didn't." Chat said, crossing his arms.

Marinette smacked her forehead.

"Chat, we need boundaries, you can't just tell a guy that I'm pooping!"

"This, is no ordinary guy, this was your crush, and it's time to crush your crush."

"I don't have a crush! I love you, why would I have a crush on him?" Marinette groaned.

"I didn't say you had a crush on him…Do you have a crush on him?" Chat asked wearily.

Marinette grabbed his face.

"Chat Noir. You are beginning to annoy me. Firstly, we're adults. We do not 'crush'. Secondly, as I said, I truly and undeniably love you, and it's upsetting that you have such little faith in my feelings for you, thirdly, Nathaniel is in the 'bro-zone'. One does not escape such a place."

Chat sighed.

"But what if you just stop liking me too?" He murmured.

"I don't like you, I love you, that will not change, believe me."She said earnestly.

Chat's arm snaked around her waist.

"I know princess…"He said, 1`and wrapped his arms around her.

"I know that, but you really have no idea how much I'm afraid of that changing. You cannot begin to understand just how deeply I love you." Chat sighed.

"It's not you. It's my insecurity. Something's wrong with me." he said, placing a kiss atop her head.

"Don't say that. Nothing's wrong with you. You just have some bad habits." Marinette murmured into his chest.

"I do." He agreed. "but…I really am trying." he said.

"I know kitten, I know you are." She looked up at him.

Chat looked guilty.

"Marinette?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's say I stopped all my bad habits, and rectified all my mistakes, and I finally told you who I am, would it be easier spending forever with me?" He asked.

"I guess it would be." Marinette admitted.

"… You'll find out who I am, soon enough…My misconduct…well that may take slightly longer to change."

Marinette stared at him, wanting to say something.

"Also…I'm sorry for telling Nathaniel you were pooping. That was immature of me." He said ashamedly looking down. It was adorable.

"Just don't do it again." She laughed.

Chat grinned.

"I'll think about it." He said. "Now go shower, you reek of 'sweaty farmer'." Chat joked, kissing her nose and turning her around.

"I do not reek!" She said indignantly,subtly sniffing herself.

Chat chuckled, of course she didn't, she always smelled lovely to him. Pheromones, pheromones.

Chat perched on her chair and quietly watched her get all the necessities for her shower.

"It may be best if I don't stay here tonight." He said after a while.

Marinette looked at him oddly.

"But…You always stay over."

"Your parents weren't home then princess, and now, they are." He said apologetically.

Marinette sighed.

"But they're going to bed."

"I'm can't risk them coming up, princess." Chat said, as his ears began to droop.

Marinette placed her clothes down and walked over to him, sulking.

"Fine, if you must." She said, reaching to play with his hair. Chat pouted, leaning into her touch.

Eventually he looks up when he heard shuffling coming from downstairs.

"Well, you needn't worry, we still have forever, right?" He nuzzled her hair, causing a little giggle to erupt from Marinette.

"We do, Kitty." She smiled.

Footfalls were becoming audible, Chat grinned and leaned down to capture her mouth in gentle, adoring kiss, but as quick as he arrived, he was gone as the trapdoor opened, a bit forcefully due to the chair atop it.

Marinette blinked and looked at the locked trapdoor above her bed. This would have been her first night alone since they met. Frankly, she was not looking forward to it.

* * *

A light smile ghosted across his lips as he stared down at the home of the old man. This was too easy. For years, years, he had searched, poured over information, ran this way and that…and all this time, the old man was here.

In Paris.

An ironic laugh filtered through his teeth. If he had known that getting Adrien Agreste kidnapped would have helped him reach his ultimate goal, he would have kidnapped the handsome bastard himself years ago…Yet instead he was forced to work with the resources he had…but now, with the help of Gabriel Agreste, he could do anything. He was granted access to whatever information he wanted due to Gabriel's ties with the Mayor.

…he felt invincible.

That man…That old man…would pay.

Slowly, he stood, adjusting the metallic gadget on his hand. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the brooch from a little metal case attached to his waist.

"You know, love, if I'm not mistaken, your husband is feeling really, really distraught right now." He absently toyed with the brooch.

"I mean, ha haa, on one hand, you disappear out of the blue, and then, your son…It's a shame really, that I am the only one who can see the Miraculous for what they truly are…A hindrance, an abomination to society... You, lost out on living. Your son, well, who knows what horrible things may be happening to him? Nevertheless, you can rest assured that I will get him back… _After_ you lot of freaks are taken care of." He let his mouth twist into a cynical smile.

He then replaced the brooch and walked slowly towards the house.

"It was never anything you did. You really were a good person. You still are. But none of you could even begin to understand. You think you're doing something good and noble. I bet you wish you could take back what happened on _that day…_ You can't though…And I won't let another soul suffer at the hands of Fu."

Fu woke with a start. Something was horribly wrong. He jumped out of bed.

"Aaaagh!" He doubled over as something pulled in his lower back. He forced his aged body over to the Miraculous box, removing it from under the gramophone.

"Tikki…Tikki, wake up." He said.

Wayzz stirred and flew over to Fu.

' _Master? Is everything alright? Is Plagg okay?'_

"He is Tikki but something is terribly wrong. I feel it. It's too soon but I have no other option."

' _Master?'_

Fu suddenly opened the box, and picked up the Ladybug earrings.

"Tikki, come out."

' _Okay sir.'_

Tikki was suddenly floating in front of him.

"Master Fu-"

"I have no time to explain. Tikki, I have no time to explain, and the others cannot come out of their Miraculous if it's not on their wielder, only you and Plagg can do that, which means I will have to fight… He cannot break the miraculous, but neither can he use them if I don't transfer you over, and he does not know all the loopholes so he will keep trying."

"Master you make no sense-"Tikki said in confusion.

Fu shook his head. He couldn't explain. It would be impossible to get the miraculous jewels to the Wielder's, the evil was closing in, in about eight seconds, and it was near the door already. Hiding them would prove to be futile. Only Tikki could escape, and if she did, she could get help. Tikki needed to go.

"In your mouth, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. DO NOT LOOK BACK !" He all but hissed in his worried haste, shoving the earrings in the startled Kwami's mouth and throwing her outside. He put the miraculous box in the gramophone quickly.

Suddenly, the door to Fu's room was thrown open.

"Elijah." Fu said, taking a step back.

"Well if it isn't Ol' Master Fu. Keeper of the Miraculous jewels. Master of all abilities…Reason for the death of my wife and child." Elijah growled lowly.

"I'm afraid you're mistaken. I am not the reason for their premature deaths. You know that." Fu said quietly.

"Oh. Is that so?" Elijah said, walking into the room, a strange crackle coming from the metal contraption on his hand.

Fu stared at Elijah, sympathetically.

"My child, if I could take back that day-"He started but…

"YOU CAN'T!" Elijah bellowed, beginning to laugh humourlessly.

He ran a hand through his hair as he laughed.

"You say this wasn't your fault, well, then whose fault is it? Who was it that gave Madame Agreste the Miraculous, huh? The sun God? A fairy? A wisp?" He growled, raising a finger to the Fu's face.

"Who had the power to heal them after they were trapped in that burning, God-forsaken WAS YOU!" Elijah barked.

Fu looked down.

"Who could have sent out someone, anyone to help us, to save us, who could have sent the fox, the bee, the butterfly, the cat, or even the damn ladybug wielders out to save us but didn't? Who didn't even show up at the damn scene?! YOU! I trusted you…I helped you. They died, because of you! All those people died, because of you! I helped you, I looked up to you, I idolized you, and you betrayed me by running away when I needed you." Elijah gritted his teeth.

"But I can't blame you…You were just doing your duty as the Miraculous master right? So in reality. You're not to blame… It's the Miraculous jewels."

Elijah slowly pulled out the Peacock brooch and Fu's eyes widened.

"But that's-"He started.

"Yes, yes it is. I'm sure Mrs Agreste fully agrees with me that these Miraculous jewels do more harm than good. Imagine how she felt, being trapped in here, all these years. How did she get trapped in here again? Oh yes, her Kwami's failed reversal stuck her and itself inside the brooch, and why did her kwami attempt the reversal? Oh, yes, it was because you weren't there to offer her backup and she ended up almost dying." Elijah snickered.

"I wonder what you told the other Kwami's. Did you tell them that you were keeping Duusu aside because she was hurt? Don't you think they should know that their dear master had almost killed her because of negligence and then lost her jewel? Since they have been putting their safety in your hands, shouldn't they know?"

"That's not true! When I went back the building was collapsed, I had no way of knowing where she was, I did not know she would attempt reversal." Fu said.

Elijah chuckled.

"You just don't get it. I can understand not being chosen to be a wielder. But I will never understand why _you_ are the guardian. You do not deserve to be the Guardian. Nor will I let you be. Not another life will be ruined by your misguided judgement. Pray tell, when choosing the wielder for the Chat Miraculous, was this your intention? Did you aim to ruin and jeopardize everyone's lives?" Elijah asked, with a tilt of his head.

Fu was quiet.

"It doesn't matter. Who needs magic when science exists? Don't worry, I'll take good care of the Miraculous, I'll make sure nobody ever finds them." Elijah grinned.

His eyes flicked to something behind Fu and his smile dropped.

"Tikkiiiiii!"He growled.

Fu turned to see that Tikki had not flown off, but had instead listened in on the conversation.

Elijah lunged at her but as he did, Fu transformed quickly with Wayzz who had been hiding, shoving Elijah away. He was weak at this age. He could only hold Elijah back for a short amount of time.

He turned to the kwami.

"TIKKI GO!PLEASE, YOU'RE OUR LAST HOPE!" He yelled.

Tikki's eyes darted from Elijah to Fu as they fought. She knew why Fu hadn't asked her to carry the whole Miraculous box with her, seeing as it was an enchanted box acting as a gateway between the human and kwami world, Kwami's would be sucked in upon contact, and could only be called out by the guardian. The rules were binding.

A weird blue shot of electricity ran down Fu's body, from the strange gadget that Elijah wore.

She didn't want to leave her family behind, but she needed to find this Marinette person. Fu had not offered her a single bit of information about this girl.

She shut her eyes. Stealing her resolve, and flying off into the night.

She would find Marinette. Then she would save her family, no matter what.

* * *

Marcus gripped his hair. He couldn't…He could not handle what he was being asked to do. He couldn't bear it any longer. He ran over to the bathroom and dry heaved over the toilet.

He was the devil for agreeing to her plans.

Three days till he was to see Marinette again.

Three days was all he had to decide if he would go through with Chloe's plan.

Three days…

A harsh vibration sound came from his room. He cussed. Agonized and weary, he began to make his way over to his phone.

"Hello." He answered lifelessly.

"Go to the Art Studio near the Bottle Park. When you get there, the door will be opened, enter and you'll see a man with a red mask. He has the inventory for the big day. Phone me when you get there." Chloe said, before she cut the call.

Marcus pursed his lips and dropped the phone. He sat down on his lavish bed and stared at a beige pillow.

He was defeated. Completely and utterly defeated.

Marcus trudged away from the bed.

It was crime time...She didn't care though. She didn't care if he got attacked our killed. No, the world revolved solely around her.

Marcus walked into his walk in closet, and made his way to the safe,after dialling the code, he hesitantly opened it…

If he was going to be out this late, he needed protection.

His fingers curled around the barrel of the revolver first. Tentatively, he brought it out of the safe.

Perhaps he wouldn't need to use it, he thought vaguely, but hopefully.

Shoving it into his pants, the brunette began to leave his slinking quietly through the shadows, he found himself at the studio, and as silently as before, he slipped in. He looked around wearily. He couldn't see anyone, but then, the man with the red mask came into view.

* * *

"- _of the final sunset,hmmm, I captured the memory of you in that sundress, and since you've gone away, I have nothing, nothing less than a battered Polaroid and the feel of your last breath…hmm, hmmm,and the ghost of our last kiss,lingering on these trembling lips, a whisper of promise that was broken by my tardiness,I'd chase after you…but you're happy…You're happier…So I'll be left behind, and smile for you, I'll draw back my cries, because you're happy,happier,happiest…when I'm gone_." Nathaniel sang softly to himself. His phone was now dead.

He had been in his designated room in the art studio all day, the room itself had a lockdown system so artists could stay longer at the studio and be safe.

Absently the artist put his pencil in the space between his head and his ear.

His eyes scanned the beautiful sketch of a starry hill and he nodded, pleased with himself. His beautiful eyes looked out the heavily barred windows for the slightest of seconds, but in those few seconds he instantly recognized the face of Marcus Monroe. The man looked like he really just wanted to get inside the building quickly instead of being outside.

Nathaniel wondered if the studio doors had been locked. He glanced down at the key on his hip. Well,he couldn't be too trusting…but he couldn't leave Mr Monroe out there, after all, the model was an artist in his own right too.

Nathaniel picked up a heavy piece of wood, just in case.

He took a breath and disarmed the lockdown on the room. He was almost certain the studio doors were locked so he wasn't too worried about intruders.

The red-head walked quietly to the entrance of the studio which was down the hall, down a flight of stairs, to the left.

He was about to step down the last step of the stairwell when he heard the voices.

"- put this in her drink." A rough voice said.

"Will it hurt her?.." Marcus said, Nathaniel knew his voice.

"No, just knock her out. Mademoiselle Bourgeois says that you can feel free to knock 'the baker' around."

"I'd rather not." Marcus murmured.

"It's best to do as she says…I can only imagine what she will force you to Miss Dupain-Cheng after she has her." The voice said.

Nathaniel's eyes widened as he processed this information.

He blinked rapidly.

"…If her intention is to make Marinette suffer…I'd rather just kill Miss Dupain-Cheng quickly and painlessly." Marcus said sadly.

Nathaniel's jaw tightened.

Like hell he'd let that happen.

Like. Hell.

He had seen Marcus and Marinette a week ago, Marcus seemed so kind, but here he was, a part of a premeditative murder.

"I still have to give you some of the other supplies. It's in my art room." The rough voice said, and before Nathaniel could even move, they had rounded the corner.

Wide eyes fell on him as he stood there frozen to the spot.

"Nathaniel…"The man with the rough voice said I shock, Nathaniel could not see the man's face but he could not place the man's voice.

Nathaniel's eyes flickered to Marcus.

"Marcus."

Marcus's eyes widened.

"How much did you hear."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Nathaniel said, playing dumb.

"He's lying, he looks down when he's lying." The man in the mask said.

"We can't let him leave with that information." Marcus said.

"No...We can't let him _live_ with that information." the masked man said.

Marcus pursed his lips.

"I don't want more people dyin' than necessary."

The masked man looked at Marcus.

"Then we don't kill him. We just make sure that he will never be able to talk again."

Nathaniel glared at the men. While they looked at each other he took the opportunity to make a run for it.

"Shit,get him!" The masked man said darting forward as Marcus stood frozen.

Nathaniel ran as fast as he could but the man was gaining on him. He looked at the wood in his hand,then turned and hit the man right on the head, making him fall to the floor, but not before grabbing the plank.

Marcus snapped out of his stupor and shot forward, just as Nathaniel took off once more.

His first idea was to get to his room and proceed with lockdown, but his heart stopped realizing that somewhere along the line, he had forgotten the key and remote to get back into the room.

"Shit." He hissed. He had to survive, or at least leave a clue.

A clue?

He suddenly became aware of the sound of a bullet whizzing past him. As it happened, he also realized with a shot of hope that he had a pencil with him, but with no paper…

He took a wild turn to the left and noticed the door at the end of the hallway. He dared to glance back and noticed that Marcus wasn't behind him…but he could hear the footsteps not far away.

He wrenched the door open and his heart dropped into his stomach realizing that he had opened a broom cupboard. Not the door to another room.

He could hear them coming.

With a fist clenched around the pencil, he entered the closet.

He needed to write on something…He needed someone to know the truth lest he was attacked and killed. There was nothing in the closet that he could write on without the men noticing.

His breaths came out in panicked huffs but stopped as he realized that he had all the canvas he needed, covered up in cotton...

He shoved up his sleeve.

Nathaniel stared at his pale skin. He could hear them just a few meters away. There was no time to think, so he didn't.

Instead he roughly pressed the pencil against his skin, grinding his teeth as he engraved the letters :

 _ **M.M +C.B= K.O M.D.C.**_

It was the shortest way to say that Marcus was teamed up with Chloe to kill Marinette. He hastily pulled the sleeve of his black blazer over his bleeding arm.

"He's in there!Look, his wallet!" Marcus said.

"Don't waste time, he'll try and attack if we go in,just shoot through the damn door."The other man yelled.

"I…I can't…"Marcus whispered.

"You damn wuss!"The other man said before all of a sudden, gunshots were fired.

Nathaniel gasped as he felt the first one go through his abdomen. The pain could only be described as white hot agony. A second went through his arm. Another through his leg. The last bullet's movement seemed dull as he watched it whizz towards his head with hazy, pained eyes.

* * *

Chat looked at the roof that he walked on, his hands were behind his back as he thought silently.

A few days ago, Marinette had spoken to him about seeing a shrink. He could understand her reasoning, she had competent, valid points. Apparently it would help if he poured out his soul to someone who could provide a proper diagnosis of whatever condition he had.

His lips twisted to the left. He had known ever since the anxiety attacks started that he had developed some sort of mental condition. He had never had it checked or given it a name, and he wasn't sure if he was really ready to accept that he was a lunatic.

Of course he had acknowledged that something was wrong with him, no normal human had the kind of bloodlust or over possessiveness that he had. He just didn't really want it to be confirmed in the faint hope that perhaps Chloe hadn't won, perhaps she had just made him believe he was insane when he really wasn't.

It was rather perplexing, but Marinette seemed fairly certain that it had to be done, she hadn't exactly taken no for an answer.

Chat stopped for a minute to take a deep breath.

Honestly, he would do just about anything for that woman. He exhaled slowly and looked up at the moon. For a heartbeat he closed his eyes, just basking in the shine of the silvery night.

Just then the sound of gunshots pierced the cold air, and just like that, the spell was broken.

His ears perked up and he turned in the direction of the sound. Just then another loud crash was heard coming from the opposite direction. Chat's eyebrows furrowed.

It seemed Paris was being quite active tonight. It really wasn't any of his business…but he was a cat, and cats were known for curiosity.

Which place should he visit first? The place where the gunshots had sounded was closer. He shrugged, 'better check that one out first', he mused. He broke off into a run, with all the eating that he had done recently, healthy or not, he still needed to exercise.

He found himself standing in front of the art studio.

"Interesting." He murmured before entering. He heard shouting and followed the voices expertly with his keen sense of hearing.

* * *

"You killed him!" Marcus hissed.

"Look, we can't afford to get caught. We could always pass this off as Chat Noir's work." The man said.

"You moron, have you ever seen Chat Noir's victims with bullets in them?!"Marcus gripped his hair.

"He could have had an accomplice." The man said.

"What the shit are you even saying! He will find us and kill us if we frame him!"

The man rolled his eyes beneath the mask.

"Just go, I'll clean up this mess." The man said taking out a knife.

Marcus eyed the weapon. He's eyes hot up to the door for a second. It was still closed.

He took a step back. Then another, and before long, he found himself racing out of the studio, never looking back, not even once.

The man pulled on some leather he opened the door and looked down at the still man before him.

He crouched and stared at the knife in his hands, he was an artist too, making Nathaniel's wounds look like scratches would be simple. So he got to work, slashing at his chest, his leg, his side. Once he was certain that his scratches looked accurate enough, he looked at Nathaniel's face.

He sighed.

"You know, I'm getting pretty tired of getting framed." A calm voice said. The masked man froze. His hairs stood on end as he heard the voice of the city's most feared villain.

He spun around.

"C-Chat No-oir?"The man stuttered.

Chat grinned and tilted his head. He bowed low, never wiping the smile off his face or taking his eyes off the man's face.

"In the flesh." Chat purred out, standing back up.

The man took an involuntary step back.

Chat walked towards the man.

"Well, what have we got here?" Chat asked casually.

The man glanced behind him before looking back at Chat.

"D-don't come any closer. I-I'm warning you." The man said, trying to keep himself from fainting.

Chat's eyes narrowed and his nose twitched.

"Warning me?" He asked not ceasing his steps. "Or else what?" Chat all but hissed.

The man pointed his knife at Chat who rolled his eyes and scoffed. He vaguely caught the glimpse of a steadily enlarging pool of blood behind the man. He hummed.

He looked at the man and snarled, taking out his baton.

"Let's get this over-with." He said.

The man gulped, but could not do much more as Chat shot towards him with inhuman speed, punching him with impossibly human force. The man's head spun and he crumpled to the floor before earning a swift kick to the jaw.

Chat had drawn out his claws and he picked up the man and tossed him on the wall multiple times. The man croaked, coughing up blood, before falling unconscious.

Chat straightened up. Well, that would do. He hadn't hurt the guy all that much, he had been trying to tone down recently, and he wouldn't let his streak get destroyed.

He turned to the closet with the blood pooling from it. Swiftly he walked towards the doorframe but his body froze upon seeing the victim.

"Oh shit no." Chat cussed, his eyes widening.

He dropped to his knees.

"Shit, Tomatohead, you idiot!" He looked over at the bullet inflicted wounds.

One to the tummy, one to the arm, one to the leg…And one had grazed his temple.

Chat listened closely for a heartbeat.

…

…

…

Then, he heard the faintest beat he had heard in his entire life. Chat sat up abruptly, looking down at the man his age, his competition. He wasn't dead. He was alive.

Just… barely.

He bit his lip. He had one of two options. Firstly, he could let this man die and never have to worry about him again but let Marinette hurt for a bit…Or he could save the man, still have the competition and save Marinette from any pain of losing someone.

He groaned. He wasn't a hero. What the hell was he even doing anymore?

He slipped his arms under Nathaniel's legs and was about to pick his torso up when Nathaniel's eyes shot open and he sucked in a strangled gasp of air.

He looked up, blindly grabbing chats arm, it seemed he couldn't speak, but he turned to Chat. His expression remained pained, but it seemed like he was begging Chat to do something.

Chat pursed his lips, picking Nathaniel up.

"Don't worry. I'm taking you to the hospital." Chat said, beginning to run out of the studio. Nathaniel took a moment to process the information, but black spots clouded his vision once more, he frankly wasn't sure how he had woken up in the first place. He grabbed Chat's face.

Chat looked down at the young man as blood seeped from his wounds and poured out of his mouth. His body was already as white as a sheet.

Nathaniel yanked Chat's ear and started tapping his arm frantically.

"What? What is it?" Chat asked, not stopping his route to the hospital.

Nathaniel pulled his face and patted his own arm again.

Chat ignored him.

Nathaniel, realizing this, began to use his remaining power to struggle away from the black-clad super villain.

"What the hell don't be difficult-"Chat said, trying to hold the man still, but the blood was making him slip.

Chat looked at the arm Nathaniel was hitting.

"Okay, okay I'm looking." Chat said. He rolled up the sleeve. Nathaniel, couldn't stay awake any longer. He slumped.

"M.M+C.B=K.O M.D.C? What does that mean?" Chat looked at Nathaniel. He looked lifeless.

"Damn it!" He growled, picking Nathaniel up and running at top speed toward the hospital.

He looked at the barred doors.

"Cataclysm!" He yelled and the doors all fell away, leaving corroded steel in its wake.

Nurses and doctors looked at him, stunned.

"He's wounded. Help him!" Chat yelled.

The nurses were petrified of his presence. It wasn't their fault, Chat knew that, but at the time, images of Marinette being distraught and upset flashed through his mind and he realized he couldn't afford these people the time to stand and stare at him in gut-wrenching horror.

"If one of you don't help this bastard right now I swear to God I will kill every patient in this facility and damn it to hell I will kill you incompetent imbeciles too!" Chat practically roared at them.

The doctors snapped out of their haze, gesturing for Chat to lay Nathaniel on the stretcher. He did so and stepped back. He watched the doctor's work for a second before turning to flee the premises.

What the hell had just happened?

He had completely forgotten about the second sound that he had heard that night. Chat ran his hand down his face. For now, it was best if Marinette and her friends didn't know about Nathaniel till his condition was stable.

He rubbed his temple. Nathaniel had engraved those letters into his skin for a reason. They were somehow significant, and he needed to understand what it meant. He stood near the Eiffel tower, wondering what those letters meant. It had been hard to see through the blood. He wished that he had taken a longer look.

This was too elaborate. Had they not just had a little quarrel involving Nathaniel? And if she were to find out that Nathaniel was attacked on the night they had the said quarrel and Chat had not been in her sight during the time of the attack, he would have a lot of explaining to do.

Luck really despised him, it seemed.

With a deep sigh, he went back to Nino's place and dropped his transformation.

Nino was sipping water, his new favorite drink since Adrien had moved in. Plagg dropped onto the bed, groaning.

"Plagg? Plagg, what's wrong?"Adrien asked, freezing as the kwami lay limply.

"Plagg!" He exclaimed, picking up the little creature.

The kwami shivered.

"Kid.I need to see Fu."Plagg said.

Adrien nodded frantically, running to get a jacket. Nino looked at Adrien.

"Dude no! You can't go out as Adrien!" Nino said, jumping up.

"Plagg is sick." Adrien said.

Nino looked at Plagg who rolled onto his back.

"Kid,better idea,tomorrow." He croaked.

Adrien shook his head. "We'll be fine, we just have to be careful-"

"Not risking it. Nino will take me tomorrow." Plagg said.

Adrien opened his mouth to speak.

"I'll be fine, it's just that I'm a bit exhausted, relaaaax, I won't die, immortal, remember?" Plagg said, flying over to Adrien's hair.

"In the meantime, take your vitamins." Adrien wrung his hands.

"Plagg you should really-"

"Tell Nino what happened to Nathaniel, and the engraving." Plagg said suddenly.

Nino froze. He looked at Adrien with wide eyes. "What…What happened to Nathaniel?"

Adrien sighed.

"Well…"He began to tell Nino everything that had happened, including the calls at Marinette's house. He explained in great detail.

"…and then I came here…Now that you know, you can't tell anyone."

Nino looked at him blankly for a second before picking up his cellphone.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Adrien asked standing up.

"Telling Alya."Nino said plainly.

"Did you not just hear me?" Adrien snarled. Nino pursed his lips.

"If there's anyone who can figure out what the hell those initial's mean, it's her. Nathaniel wouldn't self-harm, ever. He did that for a reason. He's given us a message. We just need to decipher it."

Adrien groaned.

"She's going to tell Marinette."

"Oh no, she won't, if I ask her not to."

"How can you be so certain?"

Green eyes stared at gold ones.

"Because, I know her better than I know myself. I can trust her."

* * *

" _You imbecile! If he scratches that flamehead and the police think Chat Noir had a part in it, then that little slut will find out and be mad at Chat Noir, aka the person you are impersonating and refuse to go out with you. UGH! What are you even good for?!"_

"I'm trying my best!" Marcus said. His whole body was trembling.

" _Shut up. Ugh. I'll have to message daddy and ask him to prevent the police and hospital from disclosing any information about the case from the public for a few days. He's going to be suspicious. Mark my words, if my plan fails because of your stupidity, there will be hell to pay! Understand?"_

Marcus muttered a shaky yes.

" _Two days. This needs to happen in two days."_

The call cut and the model slid down to the floor.

"I'm sorry Marinette…I'm so sorry." He whispered.

Plagg watched Adrien tell Nino the events that had occurred. He felt awful. Never in his life had he felt this exhausted and dizzy. He was almost certain that he had somehow gotten sick and not the common cold kind of sick. Magically drained was more like it.

…But other than that, something else was terribly wrong.

He could feel it.

The air itself felt strange. Dark, even.

He couldn't place what it was, but something was not right. A nagging suspicion told him that Tikki wasn't doing well…But he had no true way of knowing. The Kwami closed his eyes. He would sleep for now. Being anxious helped nobody at all, and so he slept, hoping that when the light of morning came, things would be different…

He didn't realise just how _different_ things would be…

 **A/N:Weeeeellll…Don't kill me just yet, hee hee!Hey guys!Hope you enjoyed this! It took a heck of a lot of time to write, planning for the final chapter and tying up as many loose ends as I could…Yes, FC, that's what I said, no bullets yet!**

 **Stay tuned for reveals, anxiety attacks, statement for summary making an appearance, and much more in the final chapter of mine!**

 **Thank you soooo sooo much to every single favouriter, follower and reviewer who has ever favourite, followed and reviewed, you guys truly are a huge blessing! We're far from over though, sooo…**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!Trust me,I truly write faster and better when I see your comments, never underestimate the power your words have on me guys. I honestly adore you all.**

 **Well,I have to sleep now,early lectures tomorrow!Love you guys!**

 **XOXO**

 **Ra Ra**


	23. Check:Part One

Not the slightest detail of Nathaniel's attack had reached the ever-knowing ears of the public.

The blood had been cleaned, the hospital ward had been under constant surveillance. The Art studio remained oblivious to the events aswell.

Needless to say, the morning following Nathaniel's attack had started out as one of the blandest, devastatingly boring and uneventful mornings in the last four years…

Well, that is for a certain blond-haired model. Adrien stared at the letters he had written down on a page. His mind had been at work for hours. It just made no sense to him. Never in his life had he felt as much of an imbecile as he did at that particular moment as he poured over theories of the meaning behind those letters. He knew that the answer had to have been a simple one, for Nathaniel was a simple man, and in a moment of vulnerability(Such as the situation Tomato-head had found himself in the night preceding), one would be thinking quickly as possible.

Adrien knew the answer was right in front of him, he knew that, but for some infuriating reason his brain failed to unmask the riddle.

"Ughhhhh."He groaned, an exhausted hand slid over his tired yet ever-immaculate face. He drummed elegant fingers on the table before standing up.

It couldn't have been that complex. They were just letters. Each letter probably stood for a word. Well, obviously.

His research hadn't shown for much, instead it threw him into a whirlwind of History involving signals and codewords used in the French revolution.

Adrien sighed.

His second theory surrounded the idea that the letters represented the attackers names. However, if it did, why did Nathaniel not just write the name?

It was some sort of encrypted message. With a far-off look, Adrien opened a water bottle, Nino had spoken to Alya last night. As expected, the woman had been devastated, claiming that Marinette had every right to know and demanding to know the source of Nino's information.

Nino had simply said that he had friends in the hospital. Although Alya had been sceptical about her boyfriend's response, she accepted the information, and resignedly accepted that she would not be able to divulge any information to Marinette. She set to work immediately, cutting the call and ignoring Nino all morning. The Moroccan man was less than happy to oblige, but, being as hen-pecked as he was, dutifully shut his pouting mouth.

"I'm home." Nino said, coming in with a frown. In his hands he held a very drained looking Plagg. Adrien immediately rushed to his side.

"Did you guys not see the Guardian guy?" Adrien asked, taking the Kwami into his hands.

"Well, he wasn't home. We waited and waited but then Plagg said he wants to come home.

"It was getting a bit hot." Plagg said with a wave of his little arm.

Adrien frowned in blatant disapproval.

"Plagg. You need to see him." Adrien said.

Plagg sneezed and patted Adrien's forehead.

"Jeez kid, relax, will you? It's the flu, not the death-penalty. I can't die in this form, remember?" Plagg said.

Adrien's lips twisted.

"That's not the point. You shouldn't be sick…"Adrien said.

"Awww, is someone worried about little ol' me? Well it's about time!" Plagg snickered, flying over to his storage of cheese.

He stopped at the table to rest when a head-rush washed over backward glance at Adrien, he tried to grin reassuringly.

"It won't affect your transformation, don't worry."Plagg said.

Adrien shook his head, that wasn't what he was worried about at all.

Plagg had been the one stable presence in his life for the last few years. Never before had Plagg gotten sick, and if something happened to the kwami, he would never recover from the devastation nor would he ever forgive himself.

He sighed.

"You should rest." Adrien said quietly.

Plagg swallowed the cheese and faced the blonde.

"Well, alright then." He muttered, forcing back a cough. He used his remaining energy to fly over to Adrien's head and settle in the silky strands.

Adrien, used to Plagg's strange behavioural patterns just turned to Nino who had been looking at his notes.

"Any news on the attacker?" Adrien asked.

Nino nodded.

"They're holding their information very tightly, but one of my cousins who happened to be working at the hospital this morning said that another guy was brought in by the police, he had claw marks and bruises all over him along with a concussion."

Adrien's eyes twinkled at the memory of thrashing that moron, and he barely bit back his cynical laugh. Nino noted it though and wearily looked at the model.

He cleared his throat.

Adrien snapped out of his fantasy.

"That's unfortunate." Adrien said and Nino shivered.

Adrien pondered something for a moment.

"I'm guessing he knows exactly what we need to know, a simple interrogation would work, now it's just a matter of _when_ he wakes up…Did they say anything about the red-head?" Adrien asked.

Nino rubbed his forehead.

"Not really…"Nino sighed out.

Adrien groaned.

* * *

Well at least all her boxes were there. Marinette looked at the bird on her shoulder.

"I'm hungry, what about you, my little prince?" Marinette cooed at Berry. The bird tilted it's head. He was pretty big now and could fly…sort of. He had taken to flying a few meters, then stopping to walk around the floor. He was a very odd bird indeed.

Marinette hummed, going to the kitchen, suddenly, her phone buzzed. She picked it up and answered absently, not looking at the caller I.D.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Hey Marinette!" A cheery voice said.

"Marcus?"

"I see nothing gets past you." Marcus said.

"Marcus! How are you? I haven't heard from you since the other day…"

"I'm fine, just missed you…How have you been?" He asked.

Marinette blushed for a few seconds.

"Oh, I've been, urm, fine, ha haa, soooo, did you need something?" She asked feeling a bit nervous as she and Berry stood at the threshold of the kitchen.

"Actually yes,I was wondering if you would like to take a cruise down the Seine with me, it won't be for long, and it will be before crime time, so we'll be pretty much safe." He said slowly.

"…A cruise down the Seine?" Marinette asked wearily."

"Yeah…I haven't actually been on a ferry or cruise down the Seine before so I figured it would be nice to do it sometime. Also, there is _something_ that needs to be said."

Marinette paused. She had told herself that she would not believe that Chat was Marcus… but it was hard.

She took a deep breath.

No, she would keep a level head about this. If Chat was Marcus, then Chat was Marcus. If he was not Marcus, then that would be that. It wouldn't be wise to overthink the situation. However, with the way things went in Paris, it would be hard to be with him.

Being alone with someone was considered as being out on a date.

When she went out with him the other day, she had gone with the idea that he was Chat.

But now that she was unsure… would it still be okay?

"I don't know about this…"She found herself saying.

"Come on Princess, we won't even be long, two hours, max. That's all I ask." Marcus said in a sultry voice.

"Is this really because you want to be on a cruise or for some other reason?"

"…That is a secret." Marcus said in response to her question.

Marinette bit her lip, conflicted.

Maybe it was Chat.

Maybe it wasn't.

And if it wasn't…Then she would be 'hoeing' around… Chat and her _were_ in a serious relationship after all.

But then again, it wasn't like she was out the kissing Marcus,right?

Oh, this was much too confusing.

"Pleeease, Princess." Marcus said.

Marinette sighed, praying to God that she was doing the right thing…

"Okay, but there better be food!" She said.

Marcus chuckled.

"Whatever you want, your wish is my command." He said.

For a second they were both quiet.

"The cruise is tomorrow, Milady. Wear whatever you want." Marcus said.

"Well, what colour are you going to wear?"

"Black, as usual." He said to her.

Marinette played with a strand of her hair.

As usual?

…

"Alright, what time will you be over to pick me up?"She asked.

"Hmmmm…Maybe you should just meet me at the Seine instead. Twelve sounds reasonable, right? That way, I'll have you home before crime time." Marcus said.

"Okay, I'll be there." Marinette said.

"I'll be waiting, till then my beautiful Princess."

"Till then." Marinette said.

The call cut and she looked at Berry.

"I wonder what' this big secret that he has to tell me." Marinette mused to herself.

Berry considered her for a moment before flying off into the kitchen.

Marinette giggled at his antics. "Alright, alright, I'm coming." She said with a happy smile.

She walked over to one of the boxes, taking out some bird food, and a few dried chillies to help Berry's vocal chords develop.

"I should really unpack this quickly, it isn't all that much…Then maybe I can get started with that big winter outfit assignment, I mean, they've only given us a week off to design _and_ construct them."

Berry held his chilli with his foot and looked up at her from his perch on the Kitchen counter.

He looked at her oddly, slowly biting at his chilli.

"I know what you're thinking, a week is a long time…But between you and Chat and procrastination that leaves me with basically three days." Marinette groaned.

Berry chirped happily, it seemed the young bird agreed wholeheartedly.

Marinette smiled at him affectionately as he messed the counter.

"You and Chat are so full of nonsense."

"You and Chat." Berry said.

Marinette's eyes widened.

"Kitty." Berry said.

Marinette gasped.

"Oh Berry, my baby, you spoke! Oh wait till I tell Chat!" She exclaimed blissfully.

Berry chirped.

"Chat,Chat,Chat."Berry said, alternating his words with chirps.

Marinette nodded, smiling broadly.

"Chat." She said back.

* * *

"Adrien!" Nino growled.

The young doctor ignored the man and kept ruffling through his notes.

"Plus…Plus…Why plus? What the flip did the plus mean? A couple? A collaboration? An alliance? A political party? Equals to…KOMDC…Maybe its Latin…No…Nathaniel learned French and English…No…"

Nino exhaled harshly, going over to Adrien and forcefully turning him.

"Adrien!"

"WHAT?"

"You haven't eaten since last night, you haven't slept, you haven't taken any vitamins, and this is NOT going to solve anything. Why are you so obsessed with this? You don't even like Nathaniel." Nino said.

Adrien looked at the clock. Nino was right… He had completely forgotten himself today.

"But Marinette does…The sooner I fix this, the sooner everything will be normal, and when Marinette finds out it won't be that hard on her." Adrien said.

Nino sighed.

"You severely lack the art of understanding females. She is going to be so mad that you didn't tell her that one of her best friends were on their deathbed that she's going to ignore you for at least a week." Nino.

Adrien crossed his arms.

"Well, I saved his life, so minus four days from that. Then I figured out what his message was, so minus two days, and I'm very alluring and irresistible and seductive when I want to be so minus one day. Problem solved." He said.

Nino groaned.

"Firstly, four days is too much, secondly, you haven't solved it yet, and thirdly, seductive, really?" Nino said with a face palm.

Adrien batted his eyelashes.

"Oh, you don't think so?" He asked in a high-pitched voice.

Nino rolled his eyes.

"My brain just vomited."

"That would explain all the bullshit that flows out of your mouth." Adrien said with a glare.

"Talking from experience blondie?"Nino smirked.

"You mean the experience of hearing your crap? If so then yes!" Adrien said with a huff.

"Go suck a plum!" Nino exclaimed.

"You go suck a plum! And I hope it's a sour one!" Adrien said pointing at Nino.

"I only buy sweet plums!"

"Oh really? Then what's your excuse for that shitty, sour look on your face?Oh wait, that is your face! HA!"

"Oh yeah?!…Welll… Uhh…Your shampoo smells weird!" Nino shouted.

"Does NOT!"

"DOES TOO!"

Adrien fumbled.

"Well,your lasagne tastes like feet!"

"DOES NOT!"

"DOES TOO!"Adrien deadpanned.

"DOES NOT!"

"DOES TOO!"

"DOES NOT!"

"FINE IT'S AMAZING,ARE YOU HAPPY NOW!?"

A very annoyed Plagg stared at the young men.

"Girls, girls, you're both pretty, now please can you shut up? Some of us are sleeping here." He said with a glare.

The boys cowered.

"Sorry,how are you feeling?"

"Shut up, go eat right now." Plagg hissed.

Adrien rubbed his neck. He hadn't had an appetite all day, the thought of eating just made him feel exhausted.

He opened his mouth to make an elaborate excuse, but Plagg cut him off.

"You promised her." He said with a pointed look.

Adrien snapped his mouth shut and hung his head in shame.

"You' re right...I did." He said and ran a hand through his beautiful hair. With that, he took a deep breath and marched off to the kitchen.

Plagg watched him fondly before a massive cough wracked his small frame.

Adrien turned to look at him, but he waved a flipper.

" 'M fine, carry on. How long do you want to spend with Marinette tonight?"

Adrien looked at him worriedly for a moment.

"How can I transform when you're this sick?" He asked.

"I've rested, we should be fine for about 9 hours."Plagg said.

Adrien shook his head. "I just need to make sure the house is completely safe. After that I can come home and you can rest."

Plagg groaned.

"But your mooshy time will be cut short." He said to Adrien.

"It's okay, Marinette is really understanding." Nino said to the two.

Adrien nodded quietly. Of course he wanted to be with Marinette, but Plagg wasn't well, he had to believe that Marinette would offer his soul some leniency.

Nino stared at the blonde who had no regard for his own health whatsoever, wondering how the hell the people in Paris, himself included, had not realised the perfect Model persona was all a facade.

His phone began to vibrate and he waved at Adrien to be silent.

The young model nodded and dragged himself to the kitchen, getting something to eat just to ease his conscience about almost breaking his promise to Marinette.

"Hey baby."

"Hey Nemo, listen, I'm about to go to the airport, and you know how airports act with foreigners, ugh, so I won't be able to talk for a while, but tomorrow please pick me up, I'll be landing around eleven, I have a big theory to discuss pertaining to the letters on Nathaniel's arm…"Alya said.

"Did you figure it out?" Nino asked excitedly.

"…Something like that…"

"What's wrong?"

"It's not fully figured out, so it may mean nothing…"

Nino looked as if he wanted to say something.

"Babe, I have to go, okay? I'll see you tomorrow, I love you."

"I love you too Sunshine. Be safe."

"I will Nemo. Bye."

The call cut and Nino looked at Adrien with a frown.

"Alya will be coming back tomorrow."

Adrien sighed as he munched on his spinach leaf.

"If she had a hunch why didn't she tell you over the phone?"

Nino scratched his neck.

"She's weird like that. If she doesn't really believe that much in her theory then she won't say her theory out loud."

Adrien sipped his water thoughtfully.

For a minute the only noises were the sounds of Nino's breathing and Adrien's gentle chewing.

"I don't get why he tried to get me to understand what his engraving meant. I mean…As far as he knows, I'm still a villain…Why did he show _me_ the engraving…"

Nino shrugged.

"Maybe he figured something out." Nino said, but even he didn't sound convinced.

"How would he have figured something out? I mean I've never had any contact with him." Adrien said with an eyeroll.

"Hey don't underestimate him, he's an artist, and if anyone put the pieces together that Adrien Agreste the Supermodel is actually Chat Noir the villain, it would be him. He's a man of fine art." Nino said.

"Are you saying I'm fine art?" Adrien said with a wink.

Perhaps." Nino said fluttering his eyelashes.

Plagg snorted.

"Dipshits." He said.

The boys looked affronted.

"Excuse you." Nino huffed.

Adrien pinched the bridge of his nose.

"But in all seriousness, I need to figure this out. It doesn't add up. You could be right about him knowing something…But I don't understand how. My Chat Noir persona isn't even remotely like my Adrien Persona…So how?"

"Does anybody else know who you are?"

"Besides Marinette, Plagg and yourself? No. I haven't told anyone."

Plagg frowned for a moment.

"You know, Nathaniel is pretty close to Marinette too, just like Nino, and I mean Nino pieced it together, dumb as he is-"

"Hey!"

"- and if Nathaniel is as quiet and observant as Marinette says he is, then maybe he figured out who you are to Marinette, even if he hasn't figured out your identity."

Adrien ran a hand through his hair.

"This is complicated." He said, tiredly.

Nino pursed his lips.

"You don't think this would have anything to do with Netty-"

"Marinette." Adrien corrected with a dark glare.

"Fine, Marinette." Nino said with an eyeroll.

Before Adrien could respond, he was hit with a massive wave of nausea, and quickly ran over to the bathroom.

Nino's eyes widened.

"Adrien? What's wrong?"

Plagg flew over to Adrien.

"He's fine, he just ate kale."

Adrien sniffed.

"I was distracted, okay?"

Plagg sneezed.

"Well let's get you suited up so that you feel better." Plagg said.

Adrien frowned.

"You're really sick, Plagg."

"That's why we agreed on not staying at her place all night, right kid?" Plagg said, forcing energy into his voice.

"Yeah…but…"Adrien mumbled.

Plagg rolled his eyes.

"Do you wanna see her or not?"He said in irritation.

Adrien blanches. "Alright, Plagg, transform me."

Plagg looked almost relieved as he was sucked in.

Chat looked at Nino.

"I'll be home in a few hours." He said.

"Cool, don't forget and fall asleep over there, kay? I won't be at home after 6 a.m because I have to meet with Alya's mum and help her with a few things before I pick Alya up, so I won't be able to remind you. Remember you have to be here, hiding tomorrow to hear what Alya has to say." Nino said.

"Got it. Eleven?"

Nino shook his head.

"Basically noon, if I pick her up at eleven, by the time we reach home, it would be noon."

Chat nodded.

He leapt up, through the trapdoor and jumped over rooftops, deep in thought. In a matter of minutes, he found himself up on the terrace of Marinette's new apartment, staring down at the bars covering the trapdoor.

He chased all the thoughts plaguing his troubled mind away and inhaled deeply. It wouldn't do well to cause Marinette unnecessary worry.

He leaned down and knocked on the glass of the trapdoor, reaching through the bars to do so.

After a minute, he heard a little bouncing noise, and soon, he was peering down at Marinette's beautiful face.

She grinned and began to unlock the trapdoor and the burglar guards. She pushed it aside.

"Hey,Kitty."She greeted happily.

"Hey there, miss me?"Chat grinned.

"Maybe, maybe not." Marinette said coyly.

Chat clutched his heart, fell through the trapdoor and onto the waiting bed.

"You've wounded me Princess with your nonchalant response." He said, making wheezing noises.

Marinette rolled her eyes.

"Dramaqueen."She laughed, kissing the tip of his nose and moving to lock her trapdoor.

When she was done, she turned and looked down at the bed that she was standing on to find Chat sitting cross-legged and pouting up at her.

"What?" She asked when she saw his adorably handsome face.

"You still haven't answered my question." He said, sniffling.

"Awww, Chat." She giggled, dropping down and pulling him into an intimate hug.

"Of course I've missed you." She said, nuzzling his hair.

Chat smiled.

"What a coincidence. I've missed you too." He said, kissing her cheek. Marinette giggled, and drew back.

"This is your set, by the way." Marinette said, setting the small ring with a few keys on it in his hand.

Chat looked at her in confusion.

"You're giving me keys to your apartment?" He looked at her, confoundedly.

"Yes, this one has guards on the trapdoor, and no you are not destroying them." Marinette said.

'But…are you sure you want to give _me_ access to your apartment?"

Marinette looked at him oddly.

"Why wouldn't I?" She asked with furrowed brows.

Chat didn't answer, instead he leaned forward and hugged her.

"Thank you for trusting me." He said. Marinette sighed into his golden locks and turned her face to kiss his cheek.

"Likewise." She said simply, the pair stayed in the embrace for a few minutes. Slowly Marinette drew back to look at his face.

"Well now that you're here, I can give you the grand tour." She said happily, interlocking their fingers and climbing down the ladder. Chat glanced around. It seemed that she had replicated her old room, except the chaise was replaced by a pink lounge set and a coffee table.

"So this is my bedroom." She said, gesturing with her unused hand.

Chat gasped.

"Oh man, I'm glad you pointed that out.I thought this was the kitchen."He said, ducking when Marinette tried to smack him.

She pulled him through the trapdoor and down the stairs. He looked around. It was clear that Marinette's new place was much larger than her old one, but it seemed that the attic, which Marinette had once again made into a bedroom was the same size as her previous room.

"So this is the lounge." She said, gesturing to the very calm, creamy looking room. The curtains were a light pastel pink, along with the cushions that sat on the smooth, white couches, A huge salmon, fluffy carpet lay in the space between the flat screen and the couches. White cabinets lined a few parts of the walls, and a few paintings hung on the walls.

Chat hummed. "Well this is…Pink." He said, amusement clear in his eyes. He took the opportunity to slip the keyring on his belt.

"Pink is a really good colour." She said, giving him the evil eye, daring him to comment.

His eyes fell on the dark grand piano that stood on the elevated section of the living room in a space shaped like one half of an octagon, in front of a window.

"That doesn't fit in with your colour scheme, now does it." He said with a quirked brow.

Marinette glanced at it.

"Actually the previous owner left it behind, said it's a housewarming gift." She said.

"I'm not really sure what to do with it." She admitted.

Chat chuckled, sauntering over to it and hoisting himself up on it. He turned to her as he lay across it, with his head propped up on his elbows.

"You could stare at me and tell me how good my hair looks." He said winking and making cat noise.

Marinette snorted and laughed.

"Don't make those noises, silly cat." She said, walking towards him.

Chat closed his eyes as he lay flat on the piano, still smiling.

"Can we tour tomorrow?" He asked as Marinette leaned over him to play with his hair. He shifted his head to look at her. Marinette smiled.

"Okay, deal." She said.

"You're really tired." Chat noted.

Marinette rubbed her eyes.

"It's been a long day." She admitted.

"Same here." Chat said.

Chat shifted so that his legs were hanging of the piano.

He reached out and pulled her closer.

"Tell me about your day." He said once she was standing comfortably between his legs with her back pressed to his chest and his chin resting on her shoulder. She lightly rubbed his arms that were encircled around her waist.

"It was long and stressful. My parents helped me pack away everything and get rid of the boxes, but I feel like a walking corpse. Oh I haven't told you, Berry said his first words today." She smiled.

"Hmm, if it helps, you're the most beautiful walking corpse I've ever seen,as for the lil shit, what were his words?"

Marinette swatted his arm for his insult to Berry.

"His first words were actually 'You and Chat.', then he said some other stuff, it was so cute. I'm so happy that he's big enough to have his own cage and fly around." She said with a happy sigh.

"He can fly now?" Chat asked.

"Mmhmm, he's actually really intelligent."

"I don't doubt it." Chat said in agreement.

Marinette rotated her shoulders.

"Tense much." Chat commented, noting how stiffly her joints moved.

"Sorry Kitty, it's not you, I'm just stiff from all the packing and unpacking. Right now, I really just want to have a nice bubble bath for a few hours and listen to some overly amazing music from those teenage prodigies on YouTube."Chat chuckled.

"Okay, let's get your bath running then." He said, getting off the Piano.

"Wait Chat, I can't just relax in a bubblebath and leave you all alone out here! You'd get so bored." Marinette exclaimed.

Chat grinned.

"Bored? Ha, well I don't know about YouTube but I do happen to be a child pianist prodigy." He shrugged.

Marinette blinked.

"You know the more a find out about you, the more plain I feel." Marinette said with a pout.

"You're the furthest thing in the world from plain, Princess. Please don't ever feel that way. If anything, I'm the one that's plain. I have the emotional capacity of a grapefruit and I count beach sand grains for fun." Chat said looking at her pointedly.

"Counting is fun." Marinette said with a small laugh.

Chat rolled his eyes.

"If you say it is, then it is." He said with a grin, peeking into a room and ushering her into it after he found that it was indeed the bathroom.

"Okay I say it is." Marinette said.

"Alright, then as I said, if you say it is, then it is." Chat laughed, stoppering the tubs drainage, and looking into to the cupboard for something.

He looked at the bottles thoughtfully,before he eventually selected a purple one.

"This certainly looks promising." He said to himself.

He dropped in a bit and ran the hot water.

"You know kitty, I'm perfectly capable of running my own bath." She said, poking his cheek.

"I know that you are." He replied simply, his lips tilt upwards into an endearing smile.

"Question, are you expecting me to leave the door open so that I can hear you play?" Marinette snickered with a quirked bow. Chat's cheeks began to turn a cherry-like shade of pink.

He scratched his neck, and gulped.

"N-not necessarily, Princess, I'm sure y-you could hear it through the closed door just fine." He said quickly.

Marinette laughed, and reached out to brush some of his fair hair off his mask.

"I'm teasing you,Minou. I think it would be okay to leave the door open, as long as you don't come near it till I'm dressed."Marinette reasoned.

Chat placed his hand on his heart.

"My lady has my heart and my word." He said earnestly.

Marinette smiled fondly.

"Good, now while you're in the mood of doing stuff, I need some clothes." She said.

Chat's eyes widened and his blush deepened as he remembered the last time he dared to gaze upon the contents of her underwear drawer.

He blinked rapidly.

"Sure thing Princess." He said, and spun on his heel to walk briskly up to her room. He looked at the familiar set of drawers. Tentatively he reached out a finger, and pulled the drawer open. He ruffled around till he found a onesie.

He sighed with a pout. He inhaled deeply and pulled the next drawer open, looking upwards, away from the contents. He grabbed something and slammed the drawer shut. He exhaled and took a peak at what he had grabbed in his haste.

His eyes bulged, just his luck to get the g-string.

"You are not going to think any further you hentai freak." He snarled at himself, this time, steeling his nerves and pulling the draw open with determination to get the most comfortable underwear in the drawer for Marinette.

Although his cheeks were burning, he did his best not to squeak. His eyes darted around at the contents. His eyes found their target: Boylegs, that had to be more comfortable than a string between your butt cheeks, right?

He grabbed the pastel pink underwear and closed the drawer triumphantly.

"If I had known that letting you pick my panties was this comical I would have made you do it every day."

Chat froze and turned to see Marinette snickering at him.

He looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"Ha ha very funny." He said, trying to lace his voice with malice but failing miserably.

Marinette giggled. "Come on." She said, and held out her hand to her pouting boyfriend, he held her hand with his free one and sulked all the way to the bathroom.

Marinette turned to him a few tiles before the entrance of the bathroom.

"Okay, don't cross this line."

"Don't cross the line, got it." Chat said, handing her the clothes. Marinette grinned and walked into the bathroom.

Chat walked to the piano.

"Hey, Princess, if you need me to wash your back or anything-"

"Chaaat."She whined and he snickered.

He sat down, his foot immediately finding the pedal.

"Any special requests, Princess?" He called.

"Surprise me kitten."

"Don't I always?"

"Hmmm." Marinette hummed as she settled into the water.

Chat's fingers ghosted over the keys. He had always been quite fond of the piano, and as much as perfecting his skill was a bore, he always found a certain comfort in the uncertainty of being able to compose something to call his own, and he often found himself so immersed and wrapped up in the keys that in that very moment all that existed was him and his controlled imperfect perfected pieces. It made absolutely no sense in the most comprehensible way possible.

He corrected his posture, experimentally tested a few suspended and minor notes, the keys seemed to be semi weighted.

And with a smile, he began to play.

He played Mozart's Sonata, number 17 in C, letting his fingers dance across the keys to the jovial tune.

Marinette's mouth dropped open as she heard him play, she could almost hear his confidence in the composition. Soon it was over, and he had already begun a new song, sweeping her up into a trance of relaxedness.

Chat watched his fingers as they hit each note with precision and conviction, he had started to play Prelude Op.32, Number 5 in G major. He had always admired Sergei's works, but compared to his other, slightly more aggressive works, this one was his favourite. Something about the lullaby-like sound was so entrancing and he truly cherished it.

He wondered what Marinette thought of the pieces, and decided to play something that she would most probably have heard at some time or another –Pachelbel's Canon, D major. The tune always made him feel like someone was convincing him of a brighter future, so he continued.

Marinette kept her eyes closed as she listened to him play, wondering just how she had gotten so lucky as to have found someone like Chat.

She hummed along to the familiar tune and smiled.

She was glad she found him, or rather, he found her.

Soon, he played Chopin, and then Bach. The pieces were by no means short, but were so elegant and beautiful.

Marinette sighed as she noted the water had gotten a bit cold, and looking at her fingers, she realised it was about time she emerged.

She began to change just as Chat began to play something very…strange.

It was calm, and elegant, but it sounded almost regretful…yet hopeful? It was confusing but it all fit, somehow. She stepped out of the bathroom, fully clothed and warm. For a minute she just took Chat in as he poured himself out onto the keys, he looked transfixed and very much in his element, disturbing him almost seemed like a sin. His eyes were lidded as he looked down at the keys.

Marinette paused, he had been playing for quite a while now, were his hands not in pain? Quietly, she made her way over to him, he didn't see her and he continued to play for another minute before ending the piece. Sensing her presence, he turned to her with a broad smile.

"Well, someone looks really warm and cuddly." He remarked, beginning to stand. Marinette grinned.

"I am." She said, and hopped in front of him.

He smiled down at her happy face.

"You didn't tell me you were that brilliant on the piano." She said, tilting her head. Chat laughed, "Well,I was busy planning the demise of many others, just saying." Chat said earning an annoyed look from Marinette.

"And the last piece that you played?.." Marinette asked as she looked up through her thick lashes.

"I'm not sure really, I was just playing whatever came to mind."Chat mumbled,a little embarrassed.

"Well, whatever came to your mind was a masterpiece."She said, brushing his cheek.

Chat reached up to hold the hand on his face, and placed a kiss on it's palm.

Marinette smiled at him, but her eyes looked sleep deprived. Chat tilted his head. "You should really rest, Princess." He said quietly. Marinette rubbed her eye.

"But it's not even that late yet." She protested. Chat just chuckled at her antics and scooped her into his arms. Once he had carried her up to her bedroom, he hopped up to her bed and lay her down.

Marinette yawned. "Wait, have you eaten today, Kitty?" She asked.

"I have M'lady." He responded, reaching over to brush some hair out of her eyes from where he sat on the edge of the bed.

"And your medication?"

"I've taken it." It technically wasn't a lie. He did take his evening medication… Marinette raised a brow.

"Did you sleep last night?" She asked.

Chat blinked. He knew she would most definitely be mad if he said that he didn't.

"I...did." He said.

Marinette frowned.

"You didn't take your meds or sleep, did you?" It was more of a statement. Chat's ears drooped.

"I didn't." He admitted. Marinette sighed, pulling him onto the bed.

"Why not?" She asked concernedly.

"…Plagg is very sick, and a lot of stuff is happening in my head right now. For one, I have to be somewhere tomorrow, I'm meeting someone, and it's a pretty important meeting as a lot of important information may be revealed." he said with a sigh.

Marinette froze.

"Meeting?" She asked.

The couple were facing each other.

Chat blinked. "Yes, a meeting of sorts."

"What kind of information will be revealed?" She asked carefully.

"Well, I'm not entirely certain as yet, it just depends…"

"On what?" Marinette asked.

Chat raised a brow at her.

"I can't tell you that now, but I promise I will soon." He said. Marinette deflated a little. A thought occurred to her.

"So what time is this important meeting?" She asked hesitantly.

"Should be around twelve." Chat said thoughtfully.

Marinette stared blankly at Chat.

"What's wrong?" He asked her, noting her frozen state and confused expression.

"Are you sure your meeting is at noon?" She whispered.

"Is something the matter, Princess?" He asked, beginning to sit up.

Marinette blinked. "No, nothing." She frowned.

"Hey. What are you thinking so hard about?" Chat asked,and cupped her cheek.

If only he knew.

Marinette exhaled. "It's really nothing." She said, exhaustion taking over.

Chat smiled,and let out a soft sigh. "Princess,I can't stay over tonight, Plagg is really in a lot of pain. I drained quite a bit of his energy just by staying with you for these few hours." He said gently, getting straight to the point. Marinette blinked sleepily at him.

"I don't want you to go." She said sadly.

"And I don't want to leave." He admitted, equally sad.

"Can't you just detransform and let him rest? I won't look at you, I promise." Marinette said hopefully.

Chat sighed. Chat had been very clear about not agreeing to anything like that.

"I wish I could do that Princess. I really do." he answered.

Marinette sighed.

"But you cant." She said for him.

Chat looked sad. "One of these days, you'll find out who I am, and we'll have sleepovers every, single, day." He said.

"Is that a promise?"

"It's an oath Princess." Chat said.

Marinette sat up and engulfed him in a hug.

"As long as you keep to your word. You have to promise that you're going to sleep tonight, you will, won't you?" She grumbled, a bit annoyed that he would be leaving. Chat smiled into her hair.

"I will." He said.

"Chat?"

"Yes Princess?"

"I think you look really nice in your cat suit." Marinette said drowsily.

"Thank you princess." Chat smiled, well aware of the nonsense that would sprout from her mouth when she was tired.

"And you have such pretty ears, all four of them."

"Really? I'm flattered that you think so." Chat laughed as he slowly lowered the exhausted girl back onto the bed.

"And you have a lovely set of teeth." She muttered, her eyes fighting to stay open.

"Mmmhmm."Chat said as he arranged her in her favourite sleeping position.

"Chat?"

"Yes Sweetheart?"

"If you were a diary, where would you hide?"

"I'd hide under a lot of clothing, or something strange so that people don't find me easily."

"Oh."

"Why do you ask, love?"

"I misplaced my diary when I was putting my stuff away. It's important that I find it…"

"Oh?"

"Mmmmmmhmmm, you see I wrote things."

"Did you know?"

"Yes, lots of things." She said with a massive, jaw unhinging yawn.

"Thing's like?"

"Things about you."

Chat blinked.  
"That's a little dangerous, but, alright. What did you write?"

"Hmm."

"Hmm?"

"Huh?"marinette asked.

"What?"Chat asked in confusion.

"Chat?"

"Yes Princess?" Chat asked after covering her with several blankets and tucking her in just to her liking.

"I really love you very much." She mumbled.

Chat stared at her. A soft smile moved onto his lips.

"And I love you more than you could ever possibly imagine." He said, aware that she had fallen asleep.

He sighed. He really, really, really, loved her. Chat watched her for a few more minutes and nuzzled her nose with his own.

"Everything will be okay." He said quietly, as he stared at her peaceful face. He kissed her forehead and pulled her covers a bit more tightly around her. He slowly stood and decided to use the keys to get out.

With one last lingering glance, he jumped through the trapdoors, locked them, and disappeared into the night.

 **MLMLMLML**

When he got home, Nino was sound asleep.

"Detransform me, Plagg."

Plagg yawned. He looked slightly better.

"Let's hit the hay kid, got a big day tomorrow." Plagg stretched. Adrien nodded.

"You're right. Tomorrow, I'll end this nonsense with Nino, once and for all."

"Adrien, there's been something I've been wanting to discuss…"

"What is it Plagg?"

"Well, people are searching high and low for you. No doubt the whole navy is on a nationwide search…"

"I will end all of that with the final broadcast."

"Chloe hasn't made her move as of yet…"Plagg said.

"She hasn't, but she will, I've been trying to formulate a plan without any loopholes. I've already drawn out what I'll be doing."

"What will you be doing?"

"Oh, you'll see." Adrien said mysteriously.

Plagg huffed.

"Let's go to sleep kid." Plagg said.

 **DMHG**

Tikki sobbed in a corner. She had been out searching for a long time, with no food, and the little sustenance that she did obtain were crumbs of bread. She curled her small arms around herself. She looked up at the sky, and wondered how, and why all of this was happening. Why?

She didn't even have the slightest hunch about who Marinette was. All she knew was that she was nowhere near being able to help Fu or the others.

If she could just find Plagg…

But how? She had no idea where he was, Chat Noir was everywhere, it's not like he attacked just a certain part of Paris. She sighed, trying not to let the cold get to her. She was so lost, but she knew she had to be careful not to draw any suspicion, Elijah was still looking for her…

She looked up at a nearby poster. She could vaguely make out the words 'Patisserie' and '12 Gotlib street'. She frowned and floated up to make her way to the glossy, beautifully designed and alluring poster.

Her eyes widened as she took in the names 'Tom and Sabine Dupain-Cheng'. Dupain-Cheng, was not by any means, an ordinary Surname.

' _Gotlib Street.12 Gotlib street. I have to get to 12 Gotlib street.'_

Her eyes twinkled with hope, she just had to get to Gotlib street. This nightmare would be over soon.

 **MLMLML**

It was eight in the morning when Adrien awoke. He yawned and stretched, and with a glance at the clock he realised he must have been really exhausted to have awoken that late.

He leaned up on his elbows and looked around. Plagg was fast asleep on his tummy.

He scratched Plagg between the ears, and he purred, even in his sleep. Slowly, he picked him up and placed him on the pillow.

He went to the bathroom and began to wash up, an hour later found him walking into the kitchen with a towel around his waist. His mind was already whirling, what would Alya say?

He took out Plagg's cheese and placed it on a plate. It was around nine. With a glance at the time, he retrieved his medication.

"Plagg,time for breakfast."He called.

Plagg didn't answer.

"Plagg, come on buddy."

"You literally have the most distinctively annoying voice ever kid."

"Hey, it could have been Nino calling." Adrien huffed.

"No, as I said, you have this distinct, annoying voice." Plagg said and floated towards his plate."

"Do I?" Adrien asked absently, twirling a baby carrot between his fingers before taking a bite.

' _Would you quit it already!?Marinette is pooping right now, call back later.'_

Adrien's eyes widened in horror as he dropped the carrot on his plate. Plagg looked at him in concern.

"I _do!_ " He breathed out as he held his head.

"What?" Plagg asked, looking worried.

"A distinctive voice. I have a distinctive voice. Nathaniel heard my voice." Adrien said.

"But then why didn't he figure out that Chat Noir is Adrien?" Plagg asked with wide eyes.

"I don't know but he knows that Chat was with Marinette. The fact that he didn't try calling back after means that he suspected something going on between the two of us for a long time."

"But how?..."

"I...don't…"Adrien faltered.

"Okay, let's forget that for a sec, what exactly does this mean."

"We're about to find out. Plagg eat up, we're going to the hospital."

"Ahead of you." Plagg said, licking his plate. He sneezed and ignored the dizzy spell.

"Plagg, transform me."

In a flash, Chat was up the stairs, pouncing out the trapdoor. He was outside, before crime time. In broad daylight. He had to be careful. Chat cussed.

He looked in the direction of the hospital and started to run. The man had been unconscious since his encounter with Chat, and Nathaniel still had not woken up, but Chat knew that he needed answers as soon as possible.

He leaned against a wall, steadying himself. He took a breath and stepped in front of the sliding doors. All eyes were on him as he stepped in.

"Goodmorning everyone, I mean no harm, I just need to know the ward number of the men brought in from the attack at the Art Studio." He said calmly.

He was trying this new thing. 'Civility'.

The nurses blinked at him, shocked.

"It would be much appreciated if you tell me quickly." Chat said. Still, they just stared.

Chat sighed.

"Fine, tell me where the two bastards are or someone's going to die." He said with an eyeroll.

Immediately the nurses jumped into action. Chat sauntered toward the info desk. The male nurse looked up at him, frightened. He quickly handed Chat two folders and a card.

Chat saluted him and made his way to the elevator.

He flipped open Nathaniel's attacker's folder. It was absolutely dumb to keep the victim and attacker in the same hospital, Chat frowned. The elevator doors opened and Chat swiped into the closed-off ward.

He found the correct room and walked in.

The man lay unconscious on the bed, with multiple chords and tubes hanging around him. Chat took a look at the tags around his wrist. He scanned the card at the end of the bed.

"Moderate TBI and blood loss,hey." He said.

He looked at the dosage of sedative that the man was on. He looked at the tubes and quickly located the sedative, turning it off.

It seemed that the man had been under the sedative since his arrival, but Chat knew that with a Mild to moderate concussion, the man should have been able to wake up, and so the only thing preventing that was the abnormally high doses of sedatives.

Chat looked at the man's chart again. He didn't have Edema, or any Hematomas. He wasn't suffering from Hydrocephalus. He ran a hand through his hair, taking a pen and correcting a few of the dosage's. He despised the man but the dosages were much too much. He walked around to the man's arms, and strapped them down so that when he did wake up, he wouldn't try to remove the stimulus of pain, namely the needles sticking into him.

The man began to rouse after a while. He blinked multiple times before trying to remove his hands from the bonds. He began to breathe rapidly.

Chat blinked, taking a few steps back. The man's vision began to focus and they soon fell on Chat. His heart rate began to accelerate. Chat held his hands up.

"I just want information. I'm not going to harm you." Chat said.

The man tried to speak. No sound came out.

Chat sifted through his mental notes. He walked closer to the bed. The man's eyes followed.

"I need you to do a few things for me." Chat said slowly in an even tone.

The man looked confused.

Chat held up his index finger. "Follow my finger." He said, moving his hand with his index finger raised. The man's eyes followed.

"Good. Do you remember your name?" Chat asked.

The man frowned and looked down.

"Do you remember how you landed up here?"

The man closed his eyes, trying to think.

Chat frowned.

"Do you know who Nathaniel Kurtzberg is?"

The man's eyes widened, suddenly he began to wince.

Chat stared. "You tried to kill him, was it because he found out something?"

The man looked shocked, and very confused.

Chat pursed his lips.

"Have you had an affiliation with anyone having ill-intent recently?" The man looked to be in pain, but slowly, he began to nod.

"What day is it today? Is it Monday?" Chat asked. The man shook his head.

"Is it a weekday?" Chat asked, his mind reeling.

The man shook his head.

"Is it…by any chance Saturday and I've just done a live broadcast?" Chat asked slowly.

The man nodded vigorously.

Chat exhaled.

"And you've just been called to commit a crime?" He continued.

The man looked guilty, but nodded.

"Have you been blackmailed into this crime?"

The man was silent, but then he nodded.

"Was the person who called you a woman?"

The man gulped, and looked frightened.

"Will she harm your family if you do not comply?"

The man gritted his teeth and nodded.

Chat closed his eyes.

He knew the man wasn't lying, his heart rate was constant.

"Have you been given a date that you have to attack on as yet?"

The man shook his head.

Chat steeled his nerves. "Were you meant to attack a woman by the name of Marinette Dupain-Cheng?"

The man looked mortified. He bit his lip and stared at Chat with wide-eyes.

Chat began to breathe shakily.

"M.M + Chloe Bourgeois=K.O. Marinette Dupain-Cheng. DAMNIT, I'm such an idiot! It was right in front of me. SHIT." He turns around and darts to Nathaniel's ward. Nathaniel wouldn't be awake, he was hurt too bad, but he needed to see the engraving to make sure he had seen correctly.

He swiped into the room and stalked up to the red-head, ignoring all the nurses as he went. He used a claw to rip open the bandages around Nathaniel's arm.

The letters were still there. He hadn't seen incorrectly.

"Shit."He hissed. He had to get over to Marinette.

 **MLMLML**

Marinette hummed as she opened the door of her apartment. She wanted to leave a little earlier so that she could check out some materials for her latest project.

She had already dressed for the meeting with Marcus, wearing a rich-red dress, it was a halter-neck with a sweetheart neckline. It clung to her chest and flared our from the waist, stopping above the knee.

Her hair was in its usual shoulder-length waves, with a red-bandana tied cutely. Her make-up was immaculate, and her lipstick matched the shade of her dress and her heels.

Berry squawked in his cage.

"Relax, I won't be gone too long."

The bird gnawed at the bars of the cage. The door of the cage began to come loose, and he used his head to slide it upward. He immediately flew straight at her. Clinging to her clothes.

Marinette gasped.

"Berry, what's gotten into you boy?" Marinette asked in confusion as she tried to remove his claws from her dress.

She huffed and with a particularly hard tug, she got him off.

With an odd look, she placed him back in the cage.

It was said that animals and birds had a sixth sense, and they knew when something bad would happen. Marinette shook her head.

No, nothing would happen.

 **MLMLML**

Chat practically flew over the rooftops, not caring if he was spotted or had a horrible feeling in his gut that something bad was going to happen today.

It was ten-thirty at the moment. Chat fell onto her rooftop and scrambled to the trapdoor.

"The keys." He said, smacking his head.

He growled.

"Screw it." He hissed. "Cataclysm!" He destroyed the burglar guards and picked open the trapdoor. He dropped onto her bed.

"Marinette? Are you here?" He asked, jumping down from the loft and running through all the rooms.

She wasn't home.

His ring began to beep.

"Marinette?"He called and threw open doors.

It beeped again.

Chat tried to keep his breathing in check.

"There must be some sort of clue."He said to himself as he ran back to her room.

Alright, so her make-up was out, and so were a few hair clips. She could have just went out.

Chat bit his lip. He went to check which of her shoes she had used.

Her sneakers were still there. "So she hasn't gone running."

An empty box lay underneath the table. The description on the side said red high-heels.

He frowned.

"Where would Marinette go to wearing these death traps…"

His transformation fell.

"Adrien?" Plagg groaned.

"There's no signs of a struggle, so she went somewhere on her own…But where could she have went?" Adrien paced.

"You realise you're naked right? You transformed this morning while still in a towel." Plagg pointed out.

Adrien wasn't listening.

"Where would she go?"

"Kid, I think Alya can help you figure that one out. Remember, the attack may not necessarily be today."

"And what if it is?"Adrien said, spinning to face the Kwami.

"What if she get's attacked and I'm not there to help her?" Adrien asked, running a hand through his hair.

"There has to be something." He said, closing his eyes. Plagg toppled over, but Adrien didn't see it as his back had been turned. Plagg quickly righted himself.

Adrien walked back downstairs.

He looked at the fridge for any to-do-lists. He found none.

"Twelve a clock. See you soon."

Plagg and Adrien both spun. Berry tilted his head.

"Twelve a clock. I'll be there." Plagg looked at the bird in shock.

Adrien blinked.

"She's meeting someone at twelve o' clock Plagg." Adrien said in horror.

Berry tilted his head.

He just repeated parts of the conversation that he remembered.

"She could just be meeting Alya, calm down!" Plagg said quickly, noting the glimmer of sweat coating the blonde's skin.

"Alya may know something, we need to get back." Adrien said. Plagg nodded and flew through the fridge to get some cheese. He began to eat as fast as he could, and in record time, he was done.

"Transform me." Adrien said, and once he was transformed, he ran sprinted up the stairs and leapt out of the trapdoor. Soon he was at Nino's. After entering the apartment he tried to think of who had the initial's M.M, that person could be the one Marinette was meeting. As quick as he could he hid his stuff in the room, he knew that the downstairs was devoid of his stuff, except food items maybe. He cussed for not getting back earlier to make sure the place was spick and span. What would happen if Alya figured out he was there?His mind drifted back to Marinette.

He felt sick to his stomach realising that it could have been someone that she trusted if she was willing to meet them. Suddenly, Nino pulled up outside the Apartment. Chat went downstairs and hid in the space between the TV cabinet and the wall.

Nino opened the door to the apartment and Alya stepped inside.

She looked around for a moment, looking a bit sceptical.

"Nino, does someone else live here?"

"No,just me."Nino said hesitantly.

Alya looked at him with a raised brow then walked over to the bag of raw nuts on the table.

"You're allergic to nuts."She stated.

"Max came over."

"Max is in England." Alya said, crossing her arms.

"It's been there since he left." Nino said.

"He left last year."

"Oh, ha ha, that long?"

The woman frowned.

"Why does the fridge magnet's spell that?" She asked.

Adrien had a view of the fridge…And he remembered joking with Nino, spelling out the words ' **I love model's legs'.**

Nino's eyes widened.

"Baby, as I've said, before, you look like a model."He squeaked out.

She pursed her lips as Chat smacked his forehead.

Alya walked around the counter. She paused and picked up what looked like a blond hair from the counter.

"The hell is this?" She demanded.

"Uhh…golden hair of corn?"

"Nino, who does this belong to?"

Chat winced, noting the venom in Alya's tone.

"It's…a friends." Nino said quietly.

Alya's nostrils flared.

"Nino." She snarled, beginning to make her way to the staircase leading to his bedroom. Once there she looked at the double bed and checked for any more hairs. She didn't find any, but that didn't stop her as she stomped down the stairs and opened the bathroom door.

She looked at the drain.

"More blonde hair. Shampoo that you hate the smell of. Honey-lemon body wash. Activated charcoal exfoliating seaweed scrub peel off mask?!Nino you ball-less lying piece of shit!"

Chat winced again.

"Okay I know what this looks like, but it's really not what it looks like." Nino said with wide eyes.

"You know what, screw you, I don't have time for this, Marinette's life could be in danger and I have no time for your man-hoe ass." Alya said, turning to leave the apartment.

Chat's eyes widened.

"Wait, Alya-"

"Stupid son of a-"

"I'm innocent-"

"I have to go see Marinette, you're wasting my time! Move!"

"But-"Nino started, and grabbed her wrist.

"Bastard! Get the hell away from me!"

"Alya I swear I'm not cheating on you!" Nino said in exasperation.

"Let me go!"

"I wouldn't betray your trust like that, I lov-"

A hard slap sounded. Chat squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn't just let Nino's relationship fall, Nino had been so kind to him, he didn't deserve was only trying to help him.

Nino remained silent.

"Are you going to tell me the truth or not?"

Nino still remained silent, swallowing thickly.

Chat cussed. The man was not planning on selling him out.

"Okay then."

She grasped the door knob, twisting it and pulling the door open. Nino stared down at the floor.

Just as Alya was about to step out however, Chat's baton extended, and shut the door. Nino's eyes widened as he spun to look at Chat who looked shocked at himself. Alya's eyes followed the baton all the way to Chat's hand.

For a moment everyone stood stunned.

"For the record, you read too fast, my body wash is honey- **melon** , not honey-lemon." Chat said.

Alya stared, her eyes wide in horror.

She looked at Nino and back at Chat.

Then, she opened her mouth to scream.

Nino quickly covered her mouth.

"No no no no no no he's not going to hurt us-"Nino started but Alya struggled free.

"HELP!"

"Baby he's just trying to protect-"

"Somebody help!

"Oh for the love of puns, I'm not trying to kill you!" Chat snarled.

"He really isn't." Nino said. He looked at Chat.

"Chat, give us a moment." He said, Chat huffed, looking at the clock.

Alya held Nino tighter.

"Nino Lahiffe I would have preferred you cheating as compared to harbouring a criminal!" She hissed.

Nino raised a brow.

"…Okay fine I'm happy that you aren't cheating, but Chat Noir? Nino? Really? What the hell are you thinking?"

"You slapped me, my ears are still ringing." Nino said, ignoring what she said.

"We have to get away." Alya said.

"Okay, you two, I don't have time for this, I cracked the three quarters of the code and I know Marinette is meeting someone at twelve so I need to know, the last part of the code to actually know what I'm looking for."

Alya looked at him shocked, a shiver ran over her skin.

"Marinette?"

Chat's nose twitched.

"Please tell me what you know."

Alya looked at Nino.

"I knew it! I knew it! It makes sense now." She said to herself. She turned to Chat. "So you're in love with Marinette and she really is the one that you're doing all of this for!" She said.

Chat looked again at the clock.

Nino senses his anxiousness.

"Alya please just start telling him what you know."

Alya looked back at the super-villain.

She took a calming breath, and made her way over to the table.

"Okay, so far I have a few theories, and now that I know that it really is Marinette that you've done all those live broadcasts about, one of them in Particular makes sense, but I need the affirmation of one thing."

"Yes?" Chat asked.

"Is Chloe Bourgeois the one behind all of this?"

Chat exhaled, closed his eyes and nodded.

Alya's eyes widened. "Then the code thus far is M.M +Chloe Bourgeois= K.O Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

Chat nods. "I figured that part out this morning after my visit to the hospital, but the M.M…I still have no idea who it could possibly be."

Chat growls. "Her bird said something about Noon." He said, looking at the couple.

"We have to find her before then."

"Her bird?" Alya asks.

Chat nods. "Parrots tend to copy phrases that they hear. Marinette is meeting someone." Chat said.

Nino stands quietly, looking at the two.

"I can only imagine that it's someone that she knows." Alya says, frowning.

She sighed.

"But as I was trying to crack the code, I came out with nothing. Marinette and I generally keep the same circle of friends, and up until this year I had basically met every single one of her friends, so I couldn't figure that out, but it could be someone that she's met this year." She mused.

"Could it be a university student?" Chat asked, wracking his brains.

Alya frowned.

"I highly doubt it, Chloe hardly speaks to anybody our age." She answered.

"Maybe the person is someone Chloe knows and befriended Marinette to carry out the scheme."

"But it's a small part of Paris that Marinette walks around, and if she met up with a friend someone would have seen it." Alya said.

She frowns. "Unless it's a relationship over social media?" She reasoned.

Nino frowns. "I go through her phone every other day when I'm bored, she literally has four contacts that start with the letter M, Minon, Max, Milan and her Mum." He scratched his neck. "But she did have a weird number that she didn't add as a contact as yet." He said.

Chat blinked. "I need to start checking her phone for safety purposes." He said with resolve.

Suddenly Nino gasped. "The guy!" He said.

Chat and Alya looked at him oddly.

"The guy?" Alya asked.

"The guy I saw her walking with." Nino said.

"She was walking alone with a guy?" Chat asked, feeling an odd sensation in his gut.

"They weren't doing anything, but this guy was really good looking. I mean he honestly looked like a model."

Chat stared at Nino in shock.

"When was this?" He asked in a cold whisper.

"…Not long ago. Wait, I know what you're thinking and I don't think Marinette would do that." Nino said quickly.

"…She wouldn't." Chat said, closing his eyes.

He looks back at Nino.

"Do you remember what he looks like?"

Nino twists his lips.

"Even if he is a model, there are literally hundreds of Models with the initials M.M, it's not that uncommon for the initials of the names and surnames of the models to be the same, like Adrien Agreste for example."

"If I see him in a picture I would recognise him."

Chat's mind flashes to something, namely the chart of Models that she thought could have been him. His eyes widened.

"I'll be right back." He said.

The couple stared at him in confusion.

"Chat its broad daylight!" Nino said worriedly.

"I won't be long, try to search models with the initials and see if you can recognise any of them."

He sprinted up the stairs and took off in the direction of the bakery, wondering if Marinette had taken the poster with her to her new apartment.

He hadn't been seen as yet, so all was fine when he dropped onto the familiar rooftop terrace. He easily picked the trapdoor lock and dropped into the barren room. He walked to the Mechanism on the wall, seeing the string still connected to the chart, realising that she had forgotten the chart.

He pulled it down, not wasting any time looking at it even though every fibre of his being begged him to, disconnected it from the mechanism and took off once again, making it back to Nino's place in record time.

When he entered the lounge, Nino and Alya were looking at images of models.

Chat handed him the poster.

Nino looked up at Chat, then spread the poster over the table.

Chats blood ran cold as he stared at the one face that he recognised from the fashion show that has a big circle around it along with some asterisks.

His heart plummeted as he looked at the name.

"That's him! That's the guy! Marcus Monroe!" Nino exclaimed.

Chat's ears began to ring.

How could he have messed up like this? This man was there that night at the show, he had known about Marinette's attack, he knew who had asked them to attack her.

Chat felt his blood ran cold.

He had not attacked the man simply because he seemed like he detested the idea of hurting Marinette, but he was teamed up with Chloe, and hurting Marinette had been his intention all along.

How could he have made such a huge mistake?

"She may be meeting this guy in an hour." He said stepping away from the poster, his eyes darted to the clock on the wall.

"We have less than an hour to find her before she does." He continued.

Alya and Nino exchanged a sideward glance.

"Okay wait, let's see if she picks up first." Alya said, and pulled out her phone.

She dialled Marinette's number. Chat stayed silent.

"Voicemail. Let me try again."

Chat snarled. Alya, still not completely used to the idea that Chat was not all bad shifted closer to Nino. She looked at him worriedly when again, the call went to voicemail.

"We should split up and search the city." Nino said, looking at the other two.

Alya's eyes looked frightened, as if they were only realising now just how bad the situation was, realising that it was very possible that her best friend was about to die.

She stepped away from Nino.

"I'll check this district and all the shops." She said.

"I'll go further into the city, and phone the bros to check if she's hanging with anyone." Nino said.

Chat didn't say anything, knowing that he wouldn't be satisfied till he checked every single place himself.

"How will we let each other know if we find her?" Alya asked.

Chat picked up his baton, unscrewed the bottom and out fell several metal gadgets.

"Plagg and I haven't actually used these as yet, but I've figured that they're something like walkie-talkies ."He handed two to Nino who handed one to Alya.

"Don't we have to be in some sort of range of each other?" Alya asked.

Nino shrugged.

He then pressed a button, switching it on and the other two followed.

"Can you hear me?" He asks.

"Yep." Nino and Alya said.

"Good. Lets go."

It was nerve-wrecking. Painful. Frightening.

Never in his life save for the night of the exhibition had Chat ever felt this sick feeling before. His gut was telling him that something was going to happen. Something bad.

He sprinted over the rooftops with gritted teeth, hard eyes, and a clenched jaw.

It was very possible that she was walking along the streets. It was very possible that she was inside someone's house too.

But the nagging feeling in his belly told him otherwise. She was somewhere specific, he just had no idea where.

Chloe hummed as she dropped a cube of sugar in her tea, stirring it with a silver spoon. The smile on her face was anything but innocent and gentle.

In fact, it was the very definition of sadistic.

She glanced at her watch, still set according to the time in Paris.

It was half an hour past 11.

"Checkmate." She said.

" _Still nothing_?" Chat heard Nino ask.

" _Nothing, I've checked all the stores in the district_."

" _Her parent's place?"_ Nino asked.

" _No."_ Alya said, sounding panicked.

Chat fought to keep his breathing under control, an anxiety attack would not help anyone, especially not Marinette.

* * *

Marinette looked at the various buttons. She was in a very peculiar store, one that she had never seen in all of her years living in Paris.

There were so many buttons. Buttons in every colour, in every design. Decorative buttons, practical buttons, every button she could have ever dreamed of. She sighed, thinking about all the times she had to settle for the range of buttons that she found at her favourite fabric store, but here, there was such a magnificent variety .

She glanced at her watch, it was a quarter to twelve, and with a casual shrug, she left there store.

Marinette hummed as she made her way over to the Seine.

Marcus smiled and she smiled back.

"Wow princess, might I say you look stunning in red." He said with a smile, and bowed to kiss her hand. Marinette laughed. "One of my recent project's actually."

"It's beautiful, but you're more beautiful." Marcus said with a gentle smile.

Marinette smiled.

"Thank you." She said. He offered her his hand. "Come, I did get you food by the way." He said with a grin.

"What kind of food?"

"Pizza, since I know you love it." He winked as they stepped onto the luxury cruise boat.

Marinette faltered. She had told herself to stop trying to figure out who Chat was. He would tell her when he was ready to speak… So why was she here? Was she out with some model who she had just assumed was Chat?

What if he wasn't?

She frowned. Their similarities were uncanny, but something was terribly off,her heart felt strange, it was like having heart palpitations. Something was urging her to believe that something was off.

She looked back at the sidewalk that was getting further and further away.

Marcus smiled.

"I have something that I've been meaning to tell you for the longest time."He said.

Marinette looked at him, really looked at him.

Since when were Chat's eyes that lifeless? How could he be Chat with those eyes?

Why did they look so void, so empty?

Chat's eyes were never that way…How could this man be Chat?

Marcus took a deep breath.

"Come on."

Marinette blinked. "Marcus, I… I don't think this was a good idea."

"Is it perhaps because you feel you may be betraying Chat Noir by being with me?"

Marinette stared back at him.

Marcus chuckled.

"Well Princess, I guess it's time you know the truth. And I'm sure you'll never feel guilty again." He said, gently taking her hand.

The ship was getting farther and farther away from the dock.

His hold didn't feel like Chat's hold, somehow, she was whisked into a room below. A lavish, but dark, dark room.

There was a table, with food, as promised ,but he didn't lead her there. No, he led her to the dark leather couches.

The pair sat down, Marinette looking around nervously whilst Marcus looked ready to speak.

"Well Princess, it's time I come clean… Have you ever wondered just why I knew about you and Chat Noir, or how I figured out all the little details about you?Or how I came to know about you being attacked at the Fashion Exhibition, or how Chat came to save you just as I left?"He began.

Marinette stayed silent.

"Did you ever wonder just how I knew you lived at the bakery ?"

Marinette's brows furrowed.

"You see, I've learned much more than that about you. I know much more about you because I learned it first-hand."Marcus smiled.

"And I think by now you must have realised the truth." He said calmly.

Marinette blinked.

"I said I would protect you, but the truth is I'm selfish, and I can't protect you from myself… Because, I love you."

And with that, his lips were on hers. Marinette stayed still in shock.

His kiss was different. It was cold. It wasn't passionate. It didn't convey feeling nor vulnerability. It wasn't Chat…

This man wasn't Chat.

She was being kissed by someone other than Chat.

Marcus was not Chat.

 **CHAT'S P.O.V**

Have you ever been in a situation, where it seems that the very core of Earth herself is working against you?

No matter how you try to escape it, catastrophe is inevitable. There's little you can do to grasp the string of fate, and much less can be done once you yourself unravel.

Time is a cruel entity, one that allows karma to operate in the most cunning of ways.

Ha, karma. You don't really accept that she's after you, that is, till she catches up with you. And she's cruel. She's heartless.

However, she is fair, just, and precise in her conduct. She knows just where to hit. The most vulnerable parts of you. She's studied you, and the fact is, even if you change, one day, somehow, one way or another, she always pays you back for your sins. What goes around comes around.

The cars were much too loud. The sky was much too bright. My breathing was much to ragged, and perhaps my thoughts were too pessimistic, but as pessimistic as it sounded, it didn't eradicate the truth, it amplified it.

And the truth was that she had won. She did it. She won the game of chess, and somewhere, my queen was about to be assassinated.

One would think that I'm possibly the most daft man in the universe to have been thinking such things, especially seeing that it was very possible that Marinette was about to die. Yet, how could I not?

How do you stop yourself from thinking those thoughts?

Is it possible?

I'm weak.

I'm not as strong as I'd like to appear.

I never have been.

I know that, but at the one moment where strength was needed the most, I felt the weakest I had ever been.

I felt the familiar burn behind my eyelids, because somehow, I knew, I knew that something would happen. Something would happen, and as always, I would be powerless.

And a thousand memories flashed back, in such a short time, to have the world given to you, and to have it stripped away…

" _No ."_ Nino cussed. He was out of breath.

I was out of breath.

Where was I even running to?

It began to strike me as humorous.

All the people I attacked…Did their families feel this vulnerable?

Did I do this to people? Did I make them feel like this?

I hadn't attacked for a while… I had before that though.

I truly wanted them to suffer… but this…This pain…

" _We have to think like a criminal. If you were to kill someone, where would you do it? CHAT NOIR, Where would you do it?!"_

I couldn't respond to her.

I had no clue. I haven't had a clue for a while.

A small thought flickered through my mind as I thought about previous murders in Paris, and as if sense hit me like a truck, I zoned in on the one place none us thought of.

It seemed that being out of commission had affected my thinking. Slow to crack the code. Slow to find Marinette's location. So damned slow.

"The Seine." I whispered. It hadn't occurred to me that Marinette would actually get on a ship, seeing that she could hardly swim.

It was worth a shot… But the river ran throughout Paris. The number of ships on it…

Before I knew what I was doing, I found myself running faster than a speed-train over the rooftops, leaping over the bridge, falling straight onto one of the ships.

I would check them all. I needed to… I leaped, I somersaulted, I checked every boat that I could, thanking God that the boats were small and had few passengers. I kept jumping until my feet hit the wood of a rather lavish looking cruise boat. I dropped down into the cavity below…

My eyes widened, then hardened. I actually felt them harden.

Betrayal can only be described as an ice cold, yet burning feeling that's spreads through you and encompasses every fibre and essence of your being. The suffocation is palpable. Nothing could prepare you for it, regardless of how many times it happens. It never hurts any less…but it can hurt _more_ depending on how much you loved the person who betrayed you.

Part of me screamed NO.

This is a misunderstanding.

NO.

She wouldn't do this. No. She wasn't like that.

She would ever.

But here she was, in front of me.

A growl erupted from my throat.

 **NARRATOR P.O.V**

Marinette sat completely frozen.

What the hell was happening. She was oblivious to the presence of Chat who stood there, wide eyed, stunned, eyes shooting between the two, trying to understand. Trying to rationalize with himself that this was a misunderstanding.

A growl erupted from his throat, interrupting the seemingly timeless, tragic moment.

Marcus turned to look at the man who had infiltrated his ship, and his face visibly paled,a look of utmost horror plastered his now bloodless face.

He had never anticipated this, although it was the single-handedly most idiotic mistake he could have ever made.

Marinette looked at Chat with eyes the size of golf balls.

She didn't even have the time to say, 'It's not what you think'. All she knew was that in a flurry of black, he was towering above them, she was grabbed by the arm and unceremoniously shoved into the large bathroom. The door had blinds covering a glass window, and if moved, she could see what was happening outside the cabin, so she shoved it aside.

Marinette gasped and tried to open the door, it was locked. She looked up and the next thing she saw was Marcus up in the air and she was trapped in the bathroom.

Chat gritted his teeth.

"You damned bastard!" He shouted, throwing Marcus across the room, at the table. Marinette gasped.

He didn't hear her, he didn't hear anything.

Marcus groaned, coughing.

Chat stalked over to him, yanking him up by the front of his shirt, and then flinging him back onto the floor. He crouched over him, grabbed his head, and repeatedly slammed it with bone-crushing force into the floor of the cabin.

Marcus struggled.

"How dare you." Chat snarled at him.

Marcus, dizzied by the force of impact, couldn't do much to defend himself.

"Chat stop it!" Marinette tried. He wasn't listening.

Marcus gasped when he felt Chat's fist connect with his jaw, and a sickening snap and crunch sounded through the air.

He looked back at Chat and with whatever strength he had left, kneed him in the stomach. That did little to faze the villain, instead it seemed to make him angrier.

"You disgusting piece of filth, I showed you mercy, and this is what you do?" Chat said, punctuating each word with a deft blow to the skull.

"Chat stop it, please!" Marinette pleaded.

Marcus had long since fallen unconscious.

"Screw that." Chat laughed humourlessly, and let his claws come out, Marinette's eyes widened. She hadn't seen them in a while.

In a flash, Marcus was thrown upward, onto the ceiling, and he ricocheted back to the ground, falling on an array of china set out on a table.

Chat kicked him onto his back.

"Let's mess up this pretty little face of yours, shall we?" He laughed cynically.

Marinette didn't understand what was happening as she watched her boyfriend act out as the monster that everyone believed him to be.

Marcus looked like he had broken more than half of the bones in his body, and before Marinette could even cry out for him to stop, Chat had begun to slash at Marcus' face. He slashed in a way unlike any of his other slashes. It no longer looked professional, or out of boredom.

It looked like the scratches of an animal desperate to annihilate it's opponent.

And his laugh.

He was laughing. He was laughing loudly as he did it.

Her tears spilled over.

"Chat please stop, please I'm begging you!"

He didn't stop though.

"I wonder how your guts feel." He said to himself.

In an instant, his entire hand was plunged into Marcus' gut.

He chuckled and Marinette let out a scream, holding her head.

"Chat what have you done!" She screamed.

Chat looked at the blood spilling past Marcus' lips and focussed on the shallow breaths.

"You're a tough one." He said to him softly. He moved his hand within the man's guts and blood and intestines squelched around his fingers, and he revelled in it.

Marcus' legs began to shake and then the rest of him, he began to have a convulsion.

Chat felt an odd sensation in his arm, and as if a force hit him, his arm was pulled out, Marcus' tummy wound closed in a flash of bright green, but he continued to convulse.

Chat's eyes widened.

"Why won't you die?!"He growled, bringing his hand down to slash at Marcus again but as if he was possessed, his arm was forced back to his side after a jolt of green static around it.

"Wha-?"He stared at his hand in confusion . Plagg said he had the power to stop him from killing someone. He growled.

"Plagg, stop it!" He hissed, throwing his fist at Marcus' face and instead, his fist lit up in green sparks and landed next to the man's head.

Chat growled in anger.

' _Enough boy.'_ He heard Plagg say. Plagg never ever called him boy…

With gritted teeth, he stood up and walked toward the bathroom, breaking the door open and stepping inside.

Marinette was pressed against the wall.

"Did you know that man was hired to kill you?" Chat asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

Marinette couldn't bear to look at him. She had finally seen it. She had seen the behaviour that he was notorious for.

"What relationship did he have with you?"

She looked up at his impassive face. For the first time in her life,she was frightened of him.

Not that he would hurt her, but frightened that she had not seen that this was what he was like. This was who he was. She had been trying to fix him, but this man, he was truly cruel… Would the devil even want him?

The glint in his eyes as he attacked Marcus. It was anything but human.

He had seen Marcus kiss her, and that may have been the cause of his outburst…but if that is how he reacted to situations without even asking her what was going on…then she was afraid.

He pursed his lips.

"Do you not have anything to say?" He asked.

"How could you do that?" She croaked out, her throat raw from screaming.

Chat tilted his head.

"You kissed him. You're mine, and you kissed him." He said simply.

"Even if I did…What right did you have to act like that? How does that justify behaving like an absolute monster?" She asked with eyes filled with anger.

His eyes flashed at the word monster.

"Monster? I'm the monster? Was I the one who pretended to love you and then go on dates with some person behind your back? Was I the one who built up your trust and promised to tell you everything and not hold back secrets? Was I the one who lied that I loved you or pretended to be your friend? Was that me? No, no it wasn't me. While I was here trying to change myself for _you,_ here you were, fooling around, like it was all a game. You didn't know he was trying to kill you, but you actually got so close to him that you gave him the opportunity to. Who does that? Who goes around lying about their feelings and the future? What the hell were you trying to gain, huh? Did you think I was a challenge and you wanted to conquer me? Be the one to bring down Chat Noir and save the city? Tell me, what the hell did you want?"

Marinette was too stunned to even deny anything.

"You're not even denying it." He laughed. "You're not even trying to deny it. Don't call me the monster, if anything, you're just as bad as her."

Her heart stung with those words. She stared at him. How could he have such little faith in her… Is this what he thought of her? As sick as the woman who used him, who molested him?

He exhaled through his nose, trying to rationalise his thoughts. "We have to go." He said, grabbing her wrist. Regardless of the foolish things she did, he knew she was not telling him the full truth, and his gut told him that things were not what they seemed to be. She hadn't explained herself. At the end of the day he could be overreacting. He sincerely hoped that it was the case, if it was, he would have a lot of apologising to do…

"Let go of me!" She shouted at him, yanking her wrist away. If he could be cruel…Then so could she.

He looked at her coldly.

"I'm not going anywhere with you." She spat through gritted teeth.

Chat raised a brow.

"Really now?" He asked, almost as if he were amused.

Marinette pressed herself against the wall.

"I may be a lot of things Chat Noir, but I'm not cruel. I don't find pleasure in others demise. I don't like hurting people…But you, you attack without question, you're despicable." She said through gritted teeth.

"We all make mistakes. I have made mine, but don't act like you're so perfect." She said.

Chat pursed his lips and stepped closer to her. Did she not understand? He knew he was not perfect, he had always known that.

"Stay away from me. I mean it. Stay away from me." She hissed, backing further away from him.

He chuckled." Stay away from you? How could I do that now? I don't think that I can." He looked at her.

"You see princess, I don't give a damn whether you want to see me or not, the fact of the matter is that you belong to me." He said with a frightening grin, leaning ever closer.

"Love me, love me not…You're still MINE." He said. "And just so you understand, Princess," he paused, his claw dragging along her jaw, stopping under her chin, "I don't share."

Marinette looked at him with hard eyes.

"You can't share something that never belonged to you in the first place." She said, pulling her head away.

"You never owned any part of me Chat. None of me. Not my body, not my soul, and not my heart." She said. "I can't love you Chat. I never can. NOT because I'm heartless, but because you have nothing for me to love, you have no heart."

Her heart winced at the lie. It was a lie. She loved him with everything she had. _Absolutely_ _everything_ that she had. But she was in pain.

His accusations brought her pain.

Chat stared at her, his face looked shocked.

"And you never, ever will."

All he could do was stare as everything inside him crumbled to pieces.

He knew it. He knew nobody could love him. Not Marinette, not his father, not anyone. He was not love material. He was sick, he knew that, but hearing the one person who he had given every bit of what was left of him to, deny loving him, physically hurt. He felt his vocal chords constrict. He closed his eyes.

So that was how it would be.

He grabbed her around the waist and before she could struggle, he took off in the direction of her home, silently, and once there, he dropped her on her terrace.

He didn't pause. He didn't take the cliché look back at her.

No. He just vanished.

Marinette blinked.

What had just happened?

The reality of what she had just done set in, and her eyes widened.

However, he was gone.

Her eyes began to fill with tears. Did she just tell him that? Did she just overlook and undermine everything he had ever done for her, all the care he took of her, and the protection and love and kindness he had shown her?

Did she just take every vulnerable side of him that she had seen of him, disregard it, and deny that he could ever be loved by anyone?

"Chat…I didn't mean it." She said,bringing her hands up to her mouth.

She didn't mean any of it. "Oh my God." She whispered.

"I lied!" She screamed over her balcony, she had no idea where he had gone.

"I lied! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!" She screamed. A few of the people down below looked up at her in confusion. She held her head.

How could she say that to him?

He was under the impression that she had cheated, she hadn't even given him any consolation that she didn't. She should have said something or cleared his doubts, but she was so angry at what she had seen and everything that he had said that she hadn't even tried to ease his mind.

He was so broken already, and he had been trying so hard to be better, and what did she do? She denied that he even had a heart.

"Chat…Don't leave me." She sobbed.

He, however, was long gone.

* * *

Nino and Alya had heard everything through the small device, and had called for an ambulance to get Marcus from the ship to the hospital.

Marcus was now in a coma and it was all over the news.

"Alya…"Nino started.

"We should go check on Marinette." She said for him.

Nino's lips twisted.

"She can't know that we know." He said.

"She won't." Alya said.

Nino sighed, he wanted to check up on Adrien who had probably reached home by now. He knew however, that Adrien did not like breaking down in front of others. He wanted to go home and support his friend, but that wasn't how Adrien worked. The only one who could console Adrien was Plagg from what he had seen.

* * *

Adrien stared at the ceiling, his back was against the floor. He wasn't having an anxiety or panic attack.

He was just in a state of shock.

Plagg had been furious, but now he looked more worried than he ever had in his entire duration with the model.

He couldn't find the words to say. He doubted that his words would do much for the boy's sanity.

Adrien continued to stare at the ceiling.

Plagg lay on his chest.

Adrien's heartbearts were slow. He was blank.

Plagg looked at Adrien's impassive face. He had not seen it look like this in a long,long time.

"Adrien…"He started. He still felt unwell, but his chosen was suffering another sort of sickness: heartbreak.

Adrien stayed silent.

"I don't believe that she meant any of that."Plagg said.

After a moment, Adrien scoffed.

"I know you're hurting Adrien, and I know this is just about the last thing that you want to hear, but she does love you."

Adrien clenched his eyes shut.

"Plagg, just don't."He said, his voice was strained.

"You need to hear it…Adrien I haven't told you some things about the Miraculous, all you know is that you have one, and I hinted that Nino may get one too…But so will Marinette."

Adrien didn't react.

"The Black Cat…and the Ladybug Miraculous…They're basically the yin and yang. We're Yin…Even though it's supposedly the feminine one…And Marinette and Tikki are…Well, they're yang." Plagg said.

Adrien raised a brow.

"Look, what I'm trying to say is that If Tikki and I are together because that's how its destined to be then our chosen's will be together too." Plagg said, Adrien still hadn't said anything.

Plagg sneezed. "Fine, if you want it in mushy terms, here it is. You and Marinette are destined to be together."

Adrien snorted.

"That has to be the dumbest thing that I've ever heard."Adrien said as he laughed. Plagg frowned. "It's the truth. From the first time you tried to attack her, I felt it, I felt that she would have the Ladybug Miraculous, and that could only mean-"

"I hate to break it to you buddy, but little miss sunshine over there made her feelings perfectly clear." Adrien said, standing up.

"Adrien you questioned her feelings for you, you didn't even give her the chance to explain."

"And what was there to explain Plagg?"

"Many things kid, he could have kissed her,did you think about that?"

"How would you explain her deciding to go on a date with him?"

"She's Marinette, she probably thought it was a friendly date." Plagg reasoned.

Adrien's nose twitched.

"She's not entitled to telling you every single thing she does Adrien, just like how you kept your identity from her, and to be honest, to me the only logical explanation for Marinette going onto that ship with him is that she's trying to figure out who you are." Adrien frowned.

"If that were true, then why did she not say so?"

"Because! You were accusing her of infidelity before she even had the chance."

Adrien chewed on the inside of his cheek.

"Then why did she say all those things?"

At that, Plagg looked at him dead in the eye.

"The reason she said all those things kid, and denied you had a heart, is because of all the things she knows about you, she is most certain that you have a heart big enough to feel pain when you heard her words."

Adrien looked down.

"Plagg, I just need to think, okay?"

With that,he walked up to the bedroom.

Plagg floated weakly behind him. Being sick was even affecting his flying, he stopped to rest,but fell weakly on the table.

Adrien flopped down onto the bed and looked at his plushies.

With a sigh he picked up the Marinette plushie.

"I should have asked you to tell me everything before jumping to conclusions. That was a particularly moronic move of me to say those things about you.I'm sorry for acting like a monster, and attacking Marcus even though I knew you were right there." he said, feeling dumber by the second.

"And I'm sorry for being a creep,and the whole 'I own you' thing and…"His eyes flashed. "And I compared you to her…but you're nothing like her at all." He said.

"But did you mean all those things that you said? Do you really think that of me now? I suppose I've given you ample reason to think so." He mumbled.

"If you do, I understand, but I'll still love you all the same." He said,hugging the plushie to his chest.

"I'm sorry for everything Marinette. I wish I wasn't like this. I really do. Things could have been much easier…But…In the end, my foolishness somehow got me to meet you…So as selfish as it sounds…I regret nothing, Princess."

MLMLMLML

' _-and the police say that this has had to be by far the most gruesome attack by Chat Noir thus far, but the question is, why did he attack during the day? Our records show that every one of Chat Noir's previous attacks had been after crime time, and never during the day. Could this be part of the big reveal that he's been talking about in the live broadcasts? Needless to say, the damage inflicted on the man has deemed him unrecognisable, but forensics have proved him to be none other than Nationally Famous Runway model, Marcus Monroe. His face had been marred and he suffered internal and external trauma, and trauma to the brain, several of his limbs have been broken and the question of whether or not they would have to be amputated still remains. Many citizens have claimed to have seen Chat Noir frantically jumping over rooftops, looking for something, but it seemed that upon realising that people were seeing him, he became more discreet and went unseen after that. The fact that Chat Noir is out before crime time is a worry factor to many of the Parisians, does this mean that we can expect attacks in future during the day? A-"_

Chloe turned the T.V off. Exhaling forcefully.

She took out her laptop, after a few moments, camera footage from hidden camera's in the cabin appeared. For a while, she watched Marcus and Marinette, and then the proceeding events. She had to admit, this was a bit too gruesome, even for her. She paused the video and tuned into the voice recorders hidden in the apartment too, she was no fool, she had properly prepared the ship before letting Marcus use it. At first she skipped and skipped till she got to a part where Marcus could be heard groaning. She kept listening until she heard what seemed like the door breaking.

The conversation between Marinette and Chat was not what she had expected. Not at all, but…it seemed that they were now on bad terms. She blinked several times. Who was the 'Her' that he mentioned?

Marinette had said some pretty cruel things, but she couldn't count on the assumption that they were fighting. She needed to make sure…

* * *

Alya and Nino knocked on Marinette's door. Her apartment was much like her old home, so it was as if they were waiting at the door of the bakery, instead of the place being filled with treats however, it was filled with lots of fabric and tables and designs.

Marinette didn't move for a moment as she heard them downstairs. She had been crying for two hours now.

"Marinette, its Alya and I, Alya just got back!" Nino said cheerily.

Marinette sniffed, she didn't want her friends to see her like this, especially not Alya who had been gone for so long. She rubbed her eyes.

"Coming!" She called.

She walked down the stairs and towards the door.

She had decided to put the house under lockdown early because she didn't suspect that she would be going out any time soon.

"Marinette!"Alya said leaping onto her.

"Alya!"Marinette said with a laugh.

"In the flesh,girl." Alya winked.

Marinette smiled and hugged Nino.

"You didn't tell me you were visiting today." Marinette said.

Alya laughed. "It was more of an unplanned visit, but I'll have to go back pretty soon."

"Oh." Marinette said, becoming a bit sad.

"Buuuut, until then, I'm thinking you and I can catch up?" Alya asked.

Marinette nodded with a big smile.

"Good, Nino, shoo." Alya waved a hand.

"Wha-? Hey she's my friend too!"He said, affronted.

"Yeah, well sisters before misters." Alya rolled her eyes, and shoved her boyfriend out.

"Oh geez, I love you too babe." He called back when he turned around, only to have the lockdown door slide shut in front of him. He sighed. "Right." He pouted and began to walk home.

* * *

"I don't see why you're so worked up, just barge in there like you always do and plead guilty." Plagg said from the cheese plate.

Adrien paced.

"Yes but I can't just barge in like normal when everything is not normal in the slightest. I mean she could still be very much pissed off and could be waiting to hit me with that pot of hers. And you know how she gets when she's bleeding, according to my calculations, if I'm correct she may get her period in two days if not tomorrow, and that means if she's PMS-ing I'm gonna be in deeper shit than I am in already."He said.

Plagg smacked his head.

"Come on, grow some ba-"

"What if she doesn't ever want to see me again, what if by going there I completely undermine her feelings, I mean she did tell me to stay away from her."

"You moron, she also said she didn't love you which everyone, even Nino, knows is not true." Plagg said.

"What about Nino?" Nino asked as he walked in.

"Tell this kid that Marinette was lying."

Nino nodded.

"Oh she was, her voice does this weird thing when she lies, and Alya and I have just been there, she looked like crap bro."

Adrien ran a hand down his face.

"What if she wasn't though?"

Plagg and Nino both face-palmed.

"Okay I get that you have these insecurity issues dude, but seriously, how can you not tell that the girl loves you more than anything?" Nino exclaimed.

"She was very convincing…And I was very cynical on the ship." Adrien mumbled.

Plagg and Nino looked at each other.

"So wait, let me get this straight, did you think Marinette didn't already know that you were a cynical creep that attacked people when she got into a relationship with you?"

"Yeah but this time it was in front of her…and she said I was a monster."

"She said you were _behaving_ like a monster." Plagg and Nino said at the same time.

"But then I went all crazy on her."

"Which you've done many times before." Plagg rolled his eyes.

"And I said I don't care if she loves me or not."

"Which everyone knows is a lie." Nino rolled his eyes.

"And I like spoke of her like she was some kind of toy that was mine."

"Which is a complement seeing that you protect and love everything that you feel belongs to you." Plagg said and Nino nodded along.

"Would you two at least let me feel ashamed?" Adrien asked with a twitch.

"Adrien, you were jealous. Remember how Alya reacted today when she thought I was cheating on her? You reacted basically the same way. It's the human response." Nino reasoned.

"Yeah but I should have trusted her." Adrien sighed.

"Kid, relax." Plagg said.

Adrien's eyes darted between the two.

"Then there's also the possibility that both of you are wrong and she hates me with every fibre of her being and truly feels that I'm a horrible heartless human being with no possible way of redemption whatsoever." Adrien said, looking panicky.

Nino walked toward Adrien and placed his hands on his shoulders.

"You won't know till you see her yourself." He said.

Adrien's lips formed a grim line.

"Okay." He said finally.

Nino smiled.

"Also, Nino…"Adrien started.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for covering for me today. You were not going to tell her." Adrien said.

Nino grinned but said nothing, and Adrien was thankful.

* * *

It was starting to rain. Alya yawned.

Marinette acted as naturally as she possibly could, but she always had that quiver in her voice when she lied. Still, she couldn't push her friend for information at the moment. She glanced out the heavily barred windows at the greying sky.

"I think it's time for me to go." She said to Marinette who pouted. "Already?"

Alya pouted too. "Crime time is in half an hour, Maman expects me back before then, cooked up a storm, feel like coming babe?" She asked Marinette who shook her head.

"I have some serious sewing to do if I want to pass the Module."

Alya giggled.

"Nimble as a thimble." She booped her friends nose.

Marinette laughed. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"You better." Alya said as they walked downstairs.

"Are you sure you don't want to wait? It's going to rain…"Marinette said, looking at the sky worriedly.

"You know how she is, if I don't go home now then I'm screwed, you're screwed, we're all screwed." Alya said.

Marinette saw Alya out. "Text me when you arrive home, okay?" She said when her friend got into the cab.

"Will do, girl, I love you!"

"Love you too!" Marinette said, and watched as the cab drove off. She sighed and walked back inside, pressed the button and let the gates close. As if she were cold, she wrapped her arms around herself.

For a few moments she was truly composed, that is until she thought of the awful things that she'd said once more.

She fell to her knees, guilty to the core.

Chat was right.

She did belong to him.

She was his.

She didn't want to belong to anybody else but him.

He wasn't heartless. He had the most beautiful heart she had ever seen, it was just so very damaged and tattered and abused, but he was trying, so so hard. He did whatever she asked him to, never said or did anything to upset her, and yes today he was angry, but never once did he deny loving her.

Yet she did.

She denied it so easily. Like he meant nothing to her, like he was just some random charity project and she had gotten bored. Like he was an abomination, she spoke to him in the language he had heard for so many years, the language of cruelty. She was sure he had gotten the message, and even after those feline eyes of his slid shut upon hearing her words, she could tell that he hadn't expected to hear something like that from her, ever.

She rubbed her eyes and walked upstairs. She hadn't actually taken a good look around her room when she'd gotten back, if she did she would have noticed that someone had looked at her shoebox and other items. Chat hadn't replaced the objects when he was done inspecting.

Another thing she should have noticed was that the trapdoor guards were missing. It seemed that in her disorientated state she didn't realise that this wasn't her old home and this one should have had guards. She crawled up to her bed, pulling her panda towards her.

She cried, and cried till she could barely see, till the sky was dark and her till throat felt hoarse.

She never noticed the man looking down at her from the trapdoor, taking in her alone, crying form.

Quietly, his head disappeared.

Marinette began to fall asleep, taking into her dreams the depressing thoughts of having hurt the most important person in her life.

The man outside stepped away from the trapdoor.

His lips were pursed and his eyes were pained.

Hesitantly, he dialled a number.

"Good afternoon, Madame. She seems very distraught, and is almost asleep." He said.

" _Perfect, have you scouted the Area for any signs of Chat Noir?"_

"None Madame."

" _I don't know why I didn't think of this before."_

The man stayed silent.

" _Well, get her."_

The man pursed his lips and looked back at the trapdoor with no guards. On any normal home, the trapdoor along with every opening would be locked. This young woman really had the worst luck. It was almost too easy. Trapdoors were fairly simple to pick, but guards were not.

He quietly picked the lock and lowered the sleeping gas grenade in. It wasn't much and would only cover the proximity of her room. Soon enough, it went off and was inhaled by the already sleeping woman.

The man put on his mask. The woman looked so fragile and for a moment, he cussed himself for going through with this, but also, he cussed Chat Noir for not being there to stop him. This girl didn't deserve any pain, not at all.

He lowered himself through the trapdoor and leaned over her.

With a sigh, he picked her up and put her in the body bag and climbed back onto the balcony. He tied a rope around the bag and lowered it slowly to the man waiting anxiously below before sliding down the rope himself.

Both men grimly got into their White SUV and handcuffed Marinette's unconscious form, one tied her legs together and the other put a gag in her mouth.

They stood back and looked down at her feeble, obliviously innocent form.

"Don't you think it's dumb that we were able to do something like this and nobody even bothered to stop us?" One asked the other.

"It makes you wonder what other sick things the Mayor and his daughter are letting happen behind our backs. Makes you realise just how dangerous things could really be…"

"By the way, did you figure out the person blackmailing us?"

The man shook his head.

"Not a clue. But we'll get our kids back unharmed if we collaborate."

The other man swallowed and started the car.

"I never thought they would be taken from school. Never. We do our best to keep our kids out of the loop about what kind of city they live in…They're supposed to be safe at school… After this, I'm homeschooling my kid."

The other man sighed.

"Same." He took a calming breath and wiped his eyes. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for my kids…But…I…I'm so disgusted with myself right now." He cussed afterwards.

The driver swallowed.

"All we can do is pray for forgiveness."

The other man scoffed.

"Forgiveness? We're handing a child over to some lunatic. We can forget about redemption. We don't deserve it, we're monsters too."

* * *

Chat walked delicately over the rooftops. His footsteps were light, his breaths slow and composed. The air was cold, and with every breath he took, a puff of mist was exhaled. The young villain looked up at the sky as he walked, letting the cold seep into him, for once, letting the cold feeling wash over his body in a blanket of trembling shivers that he dared not to let affect him. It was a rare moment for him to actually be outside and actually be conscious of his surroundings.

He didn't understand why he was suddenly feeling so sentimental, remembering the times when he walked freely in the city, hand in hand with his mother, fighting the chilled evenings as they explored, shopped and adventured before meeting up with his father for a toasty evening around the fire.

His footsteps ceased for a moment, and he pursed his lips.

No. He wouldn't let these memories crawl to the surface of his mind.

They didn't deserve to be there. They only brought pain and a sting of emptiness and loss.

Tramp it down.

Shut it down.

Forget it.

He took a deep breath, insecurity began to claw its way up his spine.

She could have been serious…

Maybe she was truly speaking her mind…

Or maybe she was just upset…

Either way, he couldn't be a coward, he needed to address the issue. He walked slowly. Upon approaching Marinette's apartment, his jitters were at a full force, it was quite late in the evening and he half expected Marinette to throw a shoe a him. He took a leap and straightened up on Marinette's rooftop balcony.

It was eerily dark inside… Maybe Marinette was sleeping? With a curious look he crouched down by the trapdoor.

Suddenly, his eyes widened at the familiar smell that wafted through the keyhole of the trapdoor.

"Shit." He hissed, pulling out his baton, and pressing a button. He lifted up the trapdoor, realising that it wasn't even locked, panic began to set in as he tossed his baton into the room. It quickly worked to remove all the sleeping gas and Chat wasted no time in jumping into the room.

It was empty.

His breathing became laboured as he ran downstairs, searching for any sign of Marinette.

"Marinette?" He called out loudly, but there wasn't a response.

His ears began to ring and his palms began to get sweaty.

Where was she?

Why wasn't she in the apartment?

It was late, she knew it was dangerous outside, he told her that it was dangerous outside, and she said she wouldn't go outside.

His body began to sweat. He ran back upstairs.

The trapdoor was opened and there was sleeping gas in her room. It was obvious what had just happened.

Chat refused to believe it. She couldn't have gotten kidnapped, she just couldn't have.

A song began to play in the room and his head whipped in the direction of the source, only to find it coming from Marinette's phone.

An unknown number was calling.

He had a nagging suspicion that the person who took Marinette knew he would be coming here, and he had a hunch that the person was none other the spawn of the mayor.

He gritted his teeth, swiping to answer the call. He stayed silent, waiting for her to speak.

" _Chat Noir, it's a pleasure to finally be speaking to you, one on one."_

"You disgusting excuse for a human being, where the hell have you taken her?" He hissed.

" _Oh, is that any way to speak to a lady?"_

"Lady? Is that what you think you are?"

A high pitched laugh rung through the speakers.

" _You're so feisty Kitty, I like it."_

Chat forced down the bile that had made its way up to his throat.

"Do not call me that ,you miscreant. Where. Is. My. Girlfriend?" He asked through clenched teeth.

Chloe clucked her tongue.

" _Rude much. Hmm, your girlfriend…Ohhh, you mean the one who said she can't love you?"_

"Yes, that's her." Chat said.

Chloe began to laugh.

" _Oh she's here."_

"What do you want?" Chat asked.

" _I want a lot of things."_ She purred.

Chat growled.

It was his move now…

But he was in check.

* * *

 **rara_erza_heartfilia on Instagram!**

 **XOXO**

 **Ra Ra**


	24. Check:Part two

**A/N:I'd read the AN if I were you...**

" _I want a lot of things."_ Chloe purred. Chat growled in agitation.

"Where are you now?" He all but hissed. Chloe tsked and cut the call. Chat's eyes widened for a second but a moment later she was videocalling.

"Oh wowww, so this is your face up close? Rawrrrr."Chat's nose twitched.

"Do you want to see your princess?" Chloe taunted and flipped her hair. Chat pursed his lips. "Of course you do." She snickered. "But first you have to say 'Please can I see her my fair lady?', go on, say it Kitty."Chloe grinned sardonically. Chat took a breath. It was best to do what she said. He knew from experience that she was less cruel when she was met with no resistance.

"Please can I see her…My…fair lady."He gritted out, it was poison on his tongue.

"As you wish kitty."She purred and turned from front cam to back cam. Chat's blood ran cold at the sight of Marinette tied to the chair. "Marinette!" He gasped in horror. Chloe handed her phone to someone and walked towards Marinette, slinging an arm around her shoulder.

"Poor Marinette, so heavily sedated she can't even hear you,let alone see you. Wakey wakey Marinette." Chloe said, slapping her cheeks. Whoever was holding the phone had shaky hands and Marinette's face was alternating between clear and distorted.

Chloe laughed. "Did you really think you could win against me? Did you think I would let you get away with you humiliating my precious babies?" She smiled.

"Did you think you would live happily ever after?" She pulled the cover off Marinette's eyes and she looked around blearily.

"The sad thing is that you and your girlfriend over here last spoke and departed on such terrible terms, now her last thoughts of you will be the fight you two just had, boohoooo."

Chat began to panic. This could not happen, everything he did was so that thi wouldn't happen. He couldn't lose Marinette like this, not to here.

"Okay, I lose, you've won. I accept my defeat. I will give you Adrien back if you return Marinette to me. Your issue is with me, not her."

"Hmmm, I think not. You see, I've waited much too long for this moment, and you're going to watch."

Chat's eyes widened as Chloe was handed a revolver.

"Chloe stop! Just tell me what you want and I will do it! If you want to lock me up or torture me then I won't resist, please just don't do this to her!"He shouted.

Chloe laughed.

"I want you to watch very carefully."

And she pulled the trigger.

The sound resounded in Chat's ears as Marinette's shirt stained crimson around her stomach area. Marinette didn't scream, she was quiet, but after a moment she let out a choke noise, and blood seeped into the gag in her mouth.

"STOP CHLOE I WILL DO ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING,DON'T HURT HER PLEASE DON'T HURT HER, I SWEAR YOU CAN PUT ME IN A ROOM AND SHOOT BULLETS AT ME ALL DAY FOR ALL I CARE BUT STOP HURTING HER,DON'T HURT-"

Chloe shot again, this time the bullet hit Marinette in her leg.

"STOP IT!" Chat didn't even realise he was crying. Chloe looked at the camera.

"Ohhhhh, is the kitty upset that his itty-bitty pwincess is going to die and it's all his fault? You know, I have to thank you Chat Noir. I've truly hated this woman for a number of years but you gave me the momentum and reasoning to actually go after her. So in reality, her death is all on you."

"No…"Chat sobbed pulling at his hair.

"Yes, I'll admit, the attack at the exhibition wasn't intentional, I only meant for them to ruff her up, but, boys will be boys won't they? And then today!" She burst out into laughter as Marinette became paler and paler.

"To think, I didn't have to even fight you to get to her after your lovers spat, we literally just dropped in and picked her up." Chloe said and Chat choked on his sob. This was never his intention. He didn't mean for this, he left her alone out of anger. He was just angry.

A large tank, filled with water, with a ladder attached to its side was rolled in front of the cam.

"And in her dazed head, even she knows Chat Noir isn't coming. You were supposed to protect her and always be there for her, didn't you say she was your reason for living?"

"Stop it." Chat said through gritted teeth.

A man suddenly came up behind Marinette and picked her up with the chair.

"What are they doing?!"Chat asked in horror as the man was joined by another and together they climbed up to the top of the tank.

"You know what I think? I think that under that mask of Chat Noir, you're just a scared, lonely little boy-"

"Shut up!" He growled.

"And everyone treated you like shit, and so you decided to treat them like shit too, and then perfect little Marinette came along and made you feel like you belonged." She laughed.

"But now little Marinette is going to die, what will you do now? Are you going to try and get revenge on me?"

Chat looked at her with panicked eyes.

"I think Marinette would really hate you even more if anything happened to her sweet parents, don't you think so?" Chloe purred out.

"Chloe please, I'm begging you not to do this to her, please let her go, please, please don't hurt her anymore-"

He had no idea where she was, so he had no way to get to her. All he could do was watch. He was powerless to Chloe once again.

He was always, always powerless.

"I'll give you thirty seconds to tell her what you need to, since it's such a wonderful evening after all!"

Marinette looked up blearily.

She had lost a whole lot of blood and was deathly pale.

"I'm sorry…"Chat choked. "Marinette, I am so, so sorry, I've failed you. I don't deserve your forgiveness, I'm the cause of all this, but Marinette I love you, I love you so much, I love you, I shouldn't have said those things. Princess, I don't want to live without you, I can't do it. I can't do it…"

He was unravelling right in front of his Arch-nemesis…and he couldn't care less.

Chloe grinned.

"Well, as touching as this is, we'll have to round this up. Bye bye Mari!" Chloe said and gave the signal for the men to drop her into the tank, still strapped to the chair.

The chair sank to the bottom, and Marinette's eyes widened.

Chat let out the most agonized, gut wrenching scream as he watched the love of his life get drowned, not able to do anything.

"You should probably just kill yourself now Chat Noir. I mean, now that she's dying over there, you have nothing left to live for, right? And you can't get revenge on me, because I will get revenge on her parent's, so you're powerless. Just do it. Kill yourself. You're nothing. You were only a something in Marinette's eyes, and those eyes will be lifeless soon." Chloe taunted speedily as Chat screamed.

Marinette's body became limp and her body stopped fighting the restraints.

Chloe grinned at the screen.

"And _that,_ Chat Noir is what happens when _you_ mess with what's _mine."_

And the call was cut.

The phone fell out of Chat's hands as he detransformed and continued to scream, falling to the floor and curling in on himself as he screamed and pulled his hair.

"Adrien!-"

It was too much.

Everything was too much.

He had held it in. He had kept it all in. The pain, the hurt inside that he learned to hide so well.

But something in him snapped at that moment.

Images began to flash through Adrien's mind, going right back to the last day he saw his mother. Her smile, her laugh, she loved him, and all he did was disappoint them. He made them sad. He made her sad.

All they fought about was him.

More images flashed and he was suddenly sprawled out as Chloe took advantage of him. Over, and over and over again. And the pain wracked at his body drawing out the sharpest and most deadly of his memories, memories so frightening that the very image of them began to suffocate Adrien. And no longer could he breathe as he clawed at his chest in hope of relieving himself of the aching feeling of loss.

He had lost her. _No._ He had killed Marinette, and the ache wouldn't subside.

It wasn't leaving and the words bounced around his head spiralling him down into insanity as black spotted smiles taunted him with the words that everyone around him said on a constant basis when they thought he couldn't hear, but he had always heard. Always.

" _Dumb-ass square!"_

" _If he's so perfect how come he's always alone?"_

" _His father despises him…I heard that this one time he chased him off the studio because he was being emotional."_

" _I said take your pants off now!"_

" _Stupid bastard, he thinks he's all probably starves himself to look that way."_

" _Nathalie, where did I go wrong with this boy?"_

" _Oooooh I bet he does whatever daddy says!"_

" _Do it or I'll tell your father what you did!"_

" _Mr Agreste, the only way your son can maintain that weight is if he eats less than 400 calories a day,it may take a toll on his health, but it's worth a shot."_

" _Chat Noir is the alter-ego of a boy desperate for a certain kind of attention."_

" _Obviously I wasn't going to keep it, what would that do to my figure?!"_

" _He's just a pretty-face, but he has absolutely no substance to him."_

" _Ugh, that Adrien Agreste thinks he's all it because Paris loves him, I offered him my body and he said no! Who does this asshole think he is!I'm a supermodel too!"_

" _You will act as if you're enjoying it, Adrien, or so help me I will tell all of Paris."_

" _Bet his daddy bends him over the table."_

" _He's so gay."_

" _He's blonde, he's dumb as shit, have you ever even seen the boy do anything but model? He probably can't spell 'egg'."_

Everyone who didn't adore his angelic Adrien persona automatically found every fault ,created fake faults too, and harped on it.

Marinette never harped on any of it. Never.

Everyone expected something of him, but all they did was take, and they never gave back.

" _Adrikins, meet me at my room at five."_

" _Ohhhh my gosh,can I have a photo and can you autograph this?"_

" _Great job Adrien, remember to ask your father if he and I can do a collaboration collection."_

" _Adrien, you will be modelling for a friend of mine on the fortnight of this month, Natalie will be watching your diet until then."_

" _Urggh Adrihoney you can do better than that!"_

" _Ahhh young Master Agreste, glad you could make it,I need a big favour, one of the models in my Winter Wonderland collection has fallen ill, could you model for both the Winter Wonderland and the Mysterique collection?Your father said you would…"_

" _Adrien! Adrien!It's Nadia Chamack!Could we have an interview?Just one-"_

" _Adrien,we need you to-"_

" _Mr Agreste,just the man we were looking fo-"_

" _Adrikinsss-"_

They all used him. And he let them use him…

And his mind filled with images of the woman he loved. It was suffocating as his mind forcefully replayed every moment. The hugs, the kisses, the late night talks. Her smile, her jests, every small quirk, and her acceptance of him…

" _You know, you're probably the most talented person I've ever met."_

" _You, Chat ,are the cheesiest cheeseball ever."_

" _You're really beautiful, I mean on the inside, but your face is gorgeous too,uhh hee heee…"_

" _As much as you'd like to think it, your soul isn't really black kitty, it's a meme."_

" _Let's watch a movie, oh look, what's this? Completely carb free low calorie snacks?You bet it is, ha ha…Shut up and come give me attention over here."_

" _I love you, but next time you're not picking the musical, CATS, seriously?"_

" _I'm not leaving you."_

" _Okay, then we won't eat kale in this house."_

" _Please tell me whats wrong…"_

She always cared.

The pain was too much, and suddenly the room disappeared. Everything was a blur as Chloe's voice taunted him, telling him to kill himself. His last few words to Marinette when she was on that ferry rung in his head.

" _Don't call me the monster, if anything you're just as bad as her."_

His blood ran cold as he remembered everything he had said to her, spitting out the harshest thing he could say.

"But I didn't mean it." He choked to himself.

"Oh my God Marinette I didn't mean it. I didn't mean it Princess I didn't mean it, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He ground his teeth.

He clutched at his face.

"Adrien listen to me-"Plagg tried, he was at his limit in terms of strength.

"I love you and I'm sorry Princess." He sobbed. His clawing at his own arms had begun to leave red lines on his skin, which then formed streaks of blood.

"I killed you. This was on me." He was sobbing and speaking to someone Plagg could not see.

Adrien wasn't in the room with Plagg, no, he was in a room watching Marinette die again and again. He was standing outside a tank and he couldn't get near her. She was staring straight at him, her eyes open in the water, pleading for him to do something.

Anything.

He was no longer thinking normally. All that existed was Marinette dying and him watching ,unable to move.

"DO SOMETHING!" he was screaming at himself and as he began to hit his head against the floor in the physical world, and a stream of blood from a break in his skin ran down his temple, in the mental world he was trying to hit himself to try and get himself to move and save Marinette.

But nothing worked.

" _Kill yourself."_

" _You have nothing left to live for right?"_

But Marinette was still dying, bleeding out in front of him in the water, and he could only watch as she stared at him with the colour draining from her face.

" _Kill yourself now."_

"Marinette I'm scared." He whimpered, pulling at his was covered in sweat.

His chest hurt. It hurt to breathe. It all hurt. His heart was at its limit.

Blood began to drip from his nose.

"K-Kill?"

"Adrien!Adrien snap out of it!"

"You can't leave me here alone…You promised!" Adrien's eyes focused on something that Plagg was blind to.

"I know you didn't mean those things you said because if you didn't love me I wouldn't have felt it when you were with me."

He began to rock back and forth, not aware that he was screaming.

"Take me with you!" He screamed hoarsely, his throat was raw from the screaming and his voice seemed gone. He looked utterly drained. "Don't leave me here, I don't want to be here without you…I'm sorry."He whimpered.

"Adrien!Whats this, tell me what it feels like."Plagg commanded shoving a pillow in the man's hands.

Adrien's hazy eyes seemed confused.

"Soft…"He muttered.

"What shape is it?"

"…Marinette is-"

"The _shape_ , Adrien, its soft _and_?"

"S-Square…"

"Good,and the Material. What material is it?"

"Po-Polyester…"

Adrien's eyes began to focus.

"Adrien."Plagg floated in front of his chosen exhaustedly.

Adrien's face was streaked with scratches, blood on his temple, red-tear-lines, and blood from his nose. He slowly turned his wide, red-rimmed eyes to Plagg. They were pooling with tears. His breathing was erratic and was taking time to control.

"I know kid. I know."

Adrien squeezed his eyes shut. He had been reduced to silent tears fifteen minutes he sat there, still.

Eventually,he stood up slowly and Plagg eyed him wearily.

He was staring at the Panda he had gotten her not too long ago.

Something was sticking out from under it.

Slowly, shakily, he walked towards it.

He crouched and pulled at what he found to be a journal.

' _I misplaced my diary when I was putting my stuff away. Its important that I find it.' 'Oh?' 'Mmmmmmm,you see, I wrote things…'_

Chat closed his eyes.

"I found it."He said to the air.

No response.

His index finger toyed with the pages of the journal. He had no right to look inside it. His curiosity however led him to turn to her last entry. It was today.

His brow furrowed.

Plagg lay on the floor,watching Adrien carefully.

Adrien took a breath…And began to read the final entry.

' _Dear diary_

 _Well, you're the only one the world who I've actually told about Chat, and now, even as I'm feeling like the dumbest girl in the world,and I really need a hug and some advice, you are still the only one I can open up to…_

 _I've made a mistake._

 _A dumb,stupid,silly mistake and I don't know how I'm going to fix it.I think I knew at the back of my mind that Marcus wasn't Chat, but I wanted to believe that Chat was going to tell me who he was, and I was so stupid. When I asked Chat yesterday about him going somewhere at noon he said yes, and I naively thought he was Marcus. I should've known better. I should have picked up that he wasn't Chat…_

 _And I hurt him so bad,I said the most horrible things I could come up with. I don't know what came over me at that moment but I just wanted him to hurt. I had no right to do that…That wasn't me… He's right. I'm just like her. They all hurt him, I was supposed to protect him from that and I failed._

 _I said I couldn't love someone like him. What the hell is wrong with me? What have I done? I love him so much and now he's somewhere doing I don't know what under the impression that nobody loves him because I'm a stupid asswipe. This is my fault…He's hurting and it's my fa-'_

Adrien closed the book, unable to read anymore.

He placed it on the ground next to him and Plagg cautiously crawled over to him. He could no longer fly. He was at his limit.

"Adrien…"

"Don't say anything, ."Adrien whispered.

Plagg stared at him. He himself didn't know what to say. They had just watched Marinette die right in front of them,and they couldn't do anything.

Chloe had threatened the lives of Marinette's parents if he did anything to seek revenge for Marinette.

Adrien could do absolutely nothing about it and Plagg wanted nothing more than to make his chosen's pain go away.

Adrien inhaled slowly.

"I'm tired Plagg."He whispered from his raw throat.

Plagg just stared at him silently.

Adrien let out a soft laugh.

"Bad luck."He muttered as he fiddled with his ring.

Plagg eyed his actions.

His eyes fell on Plagg who looked up at Adrien in his eyes.

Adrien let out a small smile.

"Let's get some Camembert for you. Don't think I haven't noticed, you look half dead Plagg."Adrien said, gently picking Plagg up.

Plagg stared at him with wide eyes.  
"Adrien?"He asked in confusion.

"Yes,Plagg?"

"Uh…"

"I'm sure Marinette left cheese in here somewhere."He hummed.

Plagg's eye twitched.

Adrien walked down there stairs, he noted that the house was three stories high instead of four like her parent's home, it explained how Chloe's helpers got to the trapdoor that easily.

He shook his head and placed Plagg's cheese on a plate, setting it down in front of the Kwami.

"Uh…Adrien…I'm not feeling that hungry right now."

Adrien blinked at him.

"You need to gain your strength back Plagg, please eat."Adrien said gently. Plagg looked at the cheese.

He had no desire to eat for a good week or two after what he had just seen. But the look in Adrien's eyes seemed as if he was trying to pretend everything was okay, just for a with a sigh, he gave in for Adrien's sake. He could pretend everything was okay.

He began to hoark down the cheese as he would have done on a day that he was well and Adrien's smile brightened.

When he was done, he burped. Adrien yawned.

"We should probably rest."Plagg said as casually as he could.

Adrien rubbed his eye.

"Probably."He muttered back and gently took Plagg into his hands before placing him in his hair. Plagg yawned too as Adrien slowly walked back upstairs.

"Are we not going back to Nino's?"Plagg asked when Adrien flopped onto Marinette's bed. Adrien was quiet for a moment as he looked at the black smudgy puddle looking stain on Marinette's pillow.

After a moment he realised it was diluted mascara.

He took a calming breath.

"Can we just…stay here tonight?"He asked Plagg.

Plagg's ears drooped when he saw the smudge.

"…Sure,kid."He said,settling on top of the stain to hide it from Adrien's view.

"Plagg…"

"Yes kid?"

"You know I love you,and I'm thankful that you've stuck with me all this time,right?"

"Likewise kid…I'm glad I met you."Plagg said, staring at Adrien who had his eyes closed.

Plagg waited a moment before crawling closer to Adrien's face and cuddling against his forehead.

It was hard for him to believe that Chloe had won. But they had seen it with their own eyes.

Marinette… She was a good person.

And Adrien loved her so much, but now she was gone and Plagg would have to watch as Adrien destroyed himself over it.

A dizzy spell washed over him and he took a calming breath. He was in desperate need of healing but he knew he couldn't go to Fu…

The day that he had gone to see him was the day he noticed the negative Aura emanating from the place, he couldn't sense Tikki and the others, and he knew then that something had went down. His intuition told him that Tikki was alright, but he had no clue about the others.

He had instantly made an excuse to get Nino to leave the place and had been making excuses about going to see Fu ever since.

What was going to happen now that Marinette was gone? Would Fu choose someone else?

But how could he if Marinette was Adrien's soulmate. Choosing someone else would meaning taking the Miraculous away from Adrien…

Plagg was not ready for that…He was not done with this didn't want to leave him.

Slowly,as he thought, his sickness combined with his exhaustion took over and he fell into a deep slumber.

Adrien waited half an hour before he slowly lifted himself off the bed,careful not to wake Plagg who was softly snoring. Adrien picked up a bit of the blanket and covered Plagg who seemed to be shivering.

He stared down at the Kwami and down at the ring on his finger.

What was the point of anything anymore?

He slipped the ring off his finger and placed it next to the sleeping Plagg.

Then, he retrieved Marinette's diary,sat in the corner,turned to the first page…And began to read.

…

Plagg sneezed and lifted a flipper-like arm to rub his eyes.

"Adrien?"He called and sat up exhaustedly. "Adri…"His eyes widened at the ring that lay next to him. Next to the pillow was a note.

" _ **Hey Plagg...Sorry you have to wake up to this…I really am,and I know you're probably wondering where the hell I am, and it sucks that I cant tell you…But I just wanted to say Thank you,Plagg. For everything… For the laughs…"**_

Plagg's eyes widened in horror. "No…"He breathed.

"… _ **and the cheese, and the pick-up lines, and those horrible puns that you rubbed off on me, for helping me with Calculus, and anti-derivatives,for cracking those lame jokes during the tutorials for Applied Maths, for never leaving me alone,even with Chloe,I know you hated being there, but truthfully, you suffered with me,you took the pain with me all that time,and even if you didn't realise it…I appreciated it so much…**_

 _ **And for helping me escape all these years, for giving me freedom,and accepting me even though I was an ungrateful immature bastard who never listened to anything you said. You stuck with me even before Marinette came along,and you always had my best interest at heart. I feel that without you there I probably would have done this a long time ago, but because of you, I got to experience love,and even friendship from Nino, Marinette and you,and I'm so thankful that I had that opportunity. Plagg, you will forever be my best friend,and yes as much as I don't like to admit, you were the best adoptive dad ever.**_

 _ **Just…Thank you for entering my life when you did,and maybe if you're unlucky enough, you'll get to see my dumb ass self in the afterlife or something…So I'm counting on you to be as unlucky as you possibly can,okay Black Cat?**_

 _ **Yours truly**_

 _ **Kid**_

 _ **P.s,please tell Nino that I love stupid hats,he'll understand it."**_

He gasped, forcing himself up and falling off the loft.

He couldn't fly, he was beyond his limit now.

But still, he pulled his small-self off the ground and looked around.

"Adrien this isn't funny!"He said and angry tears formed in his glowing eyes. He stumbled towards the stairs and toppled down it, beginning to crawl around once he got to bottom.

"Adrien wherever the hell you are you better come out NOW!I'm not playing games anymore!Where are you?!"He looked around in fear,his arm still wrapped around the ring.

"ADRIEN!"He shouted as loud as he could.

He looked at the clock on the far side of the room.

It was thirteen minutes past two.

Plagg stumbled into the kitchen and looked around.

"…Sorry,I'm sorry."

Plagg froze and slowly looked up. Berry was looking down at him from inside his cage.

Plagg climbed the bars.

"Alright Little Shit. You and I are going to find that Little Big Shit,and when we do, you have my blessing to give him shit from hell...Let's go."Plagg snarled, throwing the cage door open and jumping on Berry's back.

 **ML**

Marinette blearily opened her body felt like lead and her eyes were really sore. She groaned. For some strange reason it felt like she was being restrained. After a moment, her sleepy thoughts rearranged themselves and her eyes widened in realisation. She was indeed tied up, lying face down in a cold,dark, damp smelling room with only one light dangling from the ceiling. Her mouth was covered with duct tape and her wrists were cable-tied,bound with tape, and rope too. Her feet suffered the same treatment. She wriggled herself into an upright position. How did she get here?

Who brought her here?

She forced herself to calm down.

If she was indeed kidnapped,then she needed to devise a plan of escape,and she had the advantage of being alone in the room. Whoever abducted her didn't allocate a guard. It was hard however to keep her wayward thoughts from venturing into the land of anxiousness.

She had just been asleep. How had she not heard or felt anything?What do they want from her? Would she be sold into illegal prostitution? Would she be murdered. Her eyes darted around the room,there must be some way to escape.

"Check her again,if shes awake,give her another shot. Can't have her trying to escape again."

 _Again?_

What?

 **SEVERAL HOURS EARLIER**

Tikki flew to the bakery on Gotlib Street at full speed despite her hunger and exhaustion. She had an odd feeling about tonight. Maybe Plagg was just letting out his negative vibes. She was worried, but she knew she had to keep her head on straight. Her priority right now was finding Marinette before Elijah did. Her eyes lit up upon seeing the golden logo of the bakery. This was the place for sure.

Without hesitation, she flew through the door and made her way up the stairs.

The household was quiet and her flying slowed down. Cautiously she scanned the lounge and made looked around the downstairs. A male and female voice alerted her to a bedroom beyond the kitchen and she quietly peaked through the door to find a middle-aged couple.

"-try icing sugar instead."

"Let's just experiment with new ideas tomorrow."

"Okay, we can take some to Marinette as a housewarming gift."The man said.

"You just want an excuse to visit her,don't you?" The woman laughed.

Tikki's eyes widened.

Marinette had moved.

"It's literally only a few doors away and we won't be long." He said.

"I don't know, I feel as if we're cramping her independence." The woman said.

"Yeah but we're her parents, we have rights to do as such." The man snickered.

"True, very true, I'm also concerned about how she's doing...We'll go see her tomorrow."

The woman nodded and put the lights off.

"Goodnighttttt."The man yawned.

"Night."The woman said through a massive yawn, and the couple was silent after that.

Tikki flew back into the lounge.

If Marinette was literally just a few doors away, then if she checked the houses in the proximity she would find just needed to know what Marinette looked like…

The kwami flew to some pictures on the shelf in the living room and zoned in on the Half-french, half-Asian girl in most of the picture frames.

"Marinette…"She said.

With resolve, she forced the image of Marinette into her mind and took off, flying through the wall of the apartment and out onto the street. Most of the lights seemed to be off.

Which way to go first… She looked to the left and noticed a black van driving by. She frowned. Well, that was odd.

Her tummy tingled and a harsh shiver wracked her body, this feeling wasn't good.

The van came to a stop and Tikki flew over to it on a hunch. A man got out, masked, and her eyes widened as he pulled out what looked like a grappling hook.

Tikki frowned as he climbed the building. Her tummy tingled again.

This was Marinette's house, she just knew it. She zapped through the walls and up into the attic to find the girl lying asleep. Suddenly something dropped into the room. Sleeping gas.

Tikki's eyes widened. She quickly flew over to Marinette and hastily put the earrings on her and slipped into Marinette's shirt.

She frowned as the man put Marinette in the body-bag.

"How cliché."She muttered, and then realised she had gotten there, just in time, on a hunch, just like what happened in all those cliché movies. She sighed. Looks like the whole situation was as cliché as it came, but she knew that whatever would happen henceforth, she would protect Marinette from whoever was trying to hurt her, be it Elijah or the woman that Chat said was after Marinette. She would get her chosen out of this.

 **MLML**

Elijah tapped a finger on the table. He had all but two of the Miraculous.

He needed them all.

With a heavy sigh, he ran his hand through his hair and went back to his notes. From what he knew, Chat Noir only came out after crime time in Paris, but for the past few weeks the decline in attacks couldn't be ignored.

Fu looked up tiredly. He was cuffed to the wall on the far side of the room.

"You know, Ladybug will stop you."He rasped.

"You make it sound as if I'm plotting world domination. All I want are the two remaining Miraculous. Frankly speaking, if Ladybug were to attempt to stop me, all the better, she is an inexperienced hero given that she hasn't had much of the time to practice her new powers seeing as she's only gotten her Miraculous recently."

Fu remained silent as Elijah flipped through several pages.

If he was going to get out of here, he needed help. He didn't see where he would get that help from, however. The Miraculous box was hidden somewhere in Elijah's Manor. Wayzz was inside it now aswell.

Fu sighed. If he could just find the box…

Then he could get the Miraculous to their respective chosen ones…

Elijah looked up and Fu kept his eyes glued to the ground.

He would get out of there.

 **MLB**

Again?

What did he mean again?

The door began to open and as silently as she could, Marinette lay down, and feigned sleep.

The sound of heels clicking against the ground could be heard and then she felt a hand checking her restraints.

"Everything seems to be fine here." The man said after two minutes of inspection.

"She's still unconscious right?"

"Pretty much, if I didn't know better, I'd say she's dead."

The men snickered and left the room. Marinette stayed down for a few more minutes before sitting up again.

She took a few calming breaths and blinked away the tears that threatened to spill over.

No, she was not a weakling. She would escape, and if she couldn't, then Chat would…

Chat would…

Shit. Chat was angry at her.

Suddenly it was all too much, and the young woman began to cry.

A small red head popped up from her cleavage area and stared up at her with wide cerulean eyes, but she didn't see it. Tikki quietly floated to the corner of the room, knowing that popping up in front of the woman suddenly would elicit a scream, which would not be good for either of them.

"There, there Marinette. I'll get you out of here." Tikki said.

Marinette froze, and looked around.

Tikki paused, what would be her best approach?

"Well, you don't know me, but I know you… And I will help you and show myself if you promise to keep quiet." She said.

Marinette frowned before nodding.

Tikki floated out of the dark corner.

Marinette's eyes widened.

"I'm Tikki, nice to meet you."Tikki said.

Marinette stared at Tikki in shock.

"Okay let's put it this way, you know who Plagg is to Chat Noir,right?"Tikki tried to explain.

Marinette blinked and nodded slowly.

"Well, similarly, I'm supposed to be your Kwami, so like Plagg makes his chosen Chat Noir, I will make you Ladybug."

Marinette's eyes widened.

Tikki frowned at the duct tape on Marinette's mouth.

"Oh Marinette." She said sympathetically. "Let's get this off you." Tentatively peeling away the duct tape.

"Wait wait wait, so I'm going to have powers like Chat?"

"Pretty much." Tikki said.

Marinette frowned, Chat was a supervillain.

"But you see, Chat Noir is originally meant to be a superhero, all Miraculous wielders are heroes, but the young man that the Guardian chose to wield the Black Cat Miraculous was troubled…Still, the Guardian has his mind set on him."Tikki looks up at Marinette.

"But that aside, we need to get you out of here. I would have been able to get you out earlier if I used reversal, but since you haven't done your first transformation as yet it would have been harmful to your health, so I had to wait for you to get up, but now that you're up, we can escape.I chewed away at the duct tape on your hands before but then those guys came in and thought you had tried to escape. I don't understand how they had even thought that though seeing as you were still unconscious."

"Transform?" Marinette stuttered.

Tikki nodded.

Marinette looked at her nervously.

Tikki smiled. "Don't be scared Marinette, you were born to do this."She encouraged but Marinette's brows contorted.

"As much as I would love to get out of here, I honestly don't think I'm cut out to be a hero, sometimes I can barely save myself." She said.

Tikki tilted her head. "If you someone about to die would you stand by or help them?"

"Help them, but that's different-"Marinette started but was cut off by Tikki.

"It's the same thing, Marinette." She said, flying up to Marinette's face.

Marinette looked down.

"As we speak, Chloe Bourgeois is upstairs planning something completely diabolical. And Elijah is after Chat, we need to stop them." Tikki said with finality.

"Listen, I know that it's sudden, and I know you feel as if you're not cut out for this, but Marinette, we need you, the Miraculous need you, Paris needs you, Chat needs you. As much as you're scared, you're born to be a hero, it's in your blood, nevermind if you mess up or get it wrong sometimes. Mistakes make you human, all that counts is that you try."

Marinette looked up at Tikki.

Tikki stared back at her.

 **MLMLML**

Chloe twirled a piece of hair, staring down at the girl bound to the chair, eyes covered, mouth gagged.

"I'm not going to ask again." She said coldly to the man in front of her.

The said man looked at her hatefully.

Chloe walked around him.

"If you do, then only she dies. If not, then you and her both die. Which will it be?" She whispered into his ear. The man gritted his teeth and looked at the ground.

The girl in the chair was almost an exact replica of the woman in the cellar. The same eyes with shorter lashes, the same mouth, hair and body structure, but her nose was smaller and differently shaped. She would be killed today all because she looked like to a woman who this daft bimbo wanted dead.

He slowly walked over to the young woman and with pained eyes and began to work.

"Smart." Chloe said and watched him sculpt Marinette's nose on the woman who seemed too exhausted to even cry anymore. When he was done, he stood back and looked at the woman's face, adding touch-ups to make her identical to Marinette.

"Perfect."Chloe said,smirking.

She walked around the fake Marinette.

"It's nothing personal love, you just have a really horrible face." She snickered. She looked back at the cosmetic artist.

"Tie him up and put him in one of the cells." She waved a hand and a few men came over to grab the man who looked down resignedly.

"I'm sorry." He said to the woman in the chair. "I'm so sorry."

Chloe sighed. "And now we wait. I wonder how many days it would take before he plucks up the courage to go apologize and find her missing." She said.

She pulled out her phone and video called Sabrina.

"Is there any news on Adrien's whereabouts?"

Sabrina shook her head. "Urghhh."Chloe said, putting the phone down.

She sat on her luxurious chair and tapped her chin thoughtfully. After Chat Noir's little episode today, she decided to look into all of his attacks, and it took her no time at all to realise his little pattern.

He mutilated, he maimed, but never had he killed.

She was going out on a limb, but if that were true, then it was possible that he wouldn't be able to kill Adrien either.

If he thought Marinette was dead then maybe he would be disoriented, and easy to capture. Or maybe he would become sloppy, and it would be easier to locate Adrien. It was a risk, but it was a risk she was willing to take.

After all, you never gain something without losing anything right?

She picked up her phone, maybe she should call every hour.

After an hour, Chloe grinned as he picked up the phone. If Chat Noir tried to make a deal involving returning Adrien to her, she would refuse, because as much as her plan was risky, she was killing two birds with one stone. Adrien would forgive her. She could picture Chat Noirs face when he realised that he couldn't speak his way out of that one, she could already taste his agony. And Marinette? Oh it was going to be fun torturing her.

 **ML**

"And one last thing, I know I told you that the lucky charm would help you, and every time you transform you get one but I don't want you to say Miraculous Ladybug till we fix Chat Noir okay? And trust me, we have a lot of fixing to do."

"What do you mean?"

Tikki sighed.

"Who do you think cleans up after Plagg makes a mess?"

"Uhh… You?"

"And since you're ladybug and he's Chat Noir, who's going to fix this huge mess that he's made?"

Marinette's eyes widened.

"Me?!"

"Exactly."

Marinette's mind flashed images of all Chat's victims and the property that he destroyed over the years.

"Don't think too much as yet. Just say transform me."

"Transform me?Why Transfor-" Suddenly she was transforming.

Marinette's eyes widened.

"Oh my God."

She looked over at herself. What had just happened? Tikki had told her that she had super-strength like this and would be able to easily break the bonds.

She looked at the restraints and pulled her hands apart. The cuffs, rope and duct tape ripped effortlessly.

"Whoa." Ladybug said with wide eyes, tearing the bonds off her legs.

She began to stand. With a glance around, she ripped the door off its hinges and peaked outside. The dark halls were clear.

Ladybug looked around warily.

This place was more of a dungeon than a cellar.

She saw another door next to her room and heard sobs. With a frown, she peeked in and saw a man with streaks of foundation on his arm,as if he were a makeup artist who had tested out the cosmetic shades on his arm first.

She yanked open the door and the man squeaked before his eyes widened.

"Hey Sir, I'm Ladybug, and we're getting out of here!" She said, grabbing his hand and hauling him up.

"You've come to save me?" He looked shocked.

"We'll, actually, I'm trying to escape, but I'm not going to leave you here."

"Are you a superhero?" He asked desperately.

"Uhhh…Amateur hero at the moment I think."Ladybug scratched her neck nervously.

"There's a girl upstairs who's about to be killed, can you save her?Please!"

Ladybug's eyes widened.

"Killed?"

"She looks like a young woman that Mme. Bourgeois hates, like Miss Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and Miss Marinette is also trapped here, please help us." The man's eyes watered.

Ladybug stared at him in shock before her shock became determination.

Nobody was going to die because they looked like her.

"Where are they?"

The man looked around.

"That way."

The two began to run through the cellar that seemed to never end.

They came to a staircase with a door at the top.

"Okay you take care of the girl,I'll deal with any goons, don't let them see you okay?" Ladybug confirmed.

The man nodded.

Ladybug ran towards it just as Chloe ended the call with Chat on the other side.

Too little, too late… It was just that Marinette had no clue…

Chloe turned around in shock and Ladybug's eyes zoned past all of them, instead, she focussed on the tank filled with water. With all the force she could, she kicked it resulting in the tank exploding and sending water gushing out.

Chloe's eyes widened.

"Who the hell are you?" She snarled.

"Question is, Why am not surprised to see you?" Ladybug said to herself.

Ladybug pulled out her Yo-yo, as men surrounded her. She needed to get that girl to a hospital fast.

She looked at The biggest of the three and ran straight at him, dropped and skidded under his legs, when he turned, she kicked him back into the other two, causing them to all fall. Before they got up, she tossed her Yoyo right at Chloe's head, and knocked her out.

The men stood up and one made a kick at her head, but she dodged and grabbed his leg as he made his next kick, she spun and threw him into a wall. He slumped, unconscious.

The next man made to punch her but she wrapped her Yoyo around his hand and yanking him forward, elbowing him in the head, and he slumped onto the floor.

The last man ran to pick up Chloe's gun, he cocked it, pointed it at Ladybug and began to shoot. On instinct Ladybug began to spin the yoyo and the bullets deflected as she ran towards him. She grabbed him by the collar and slammed his head on the ground.

All of them were out.

The artist had the young woman in his arms.

"She's got a pulse, but it's weak. We're very near the hospital though!" He said fervently.

Marinette nodded.

"Lead the way." The man began to make his way out of the building, it seemed they had been in an old warehouse.

He ran outside.

"That way." He began to run in the direction of the hospital that was across the road next to a petro-port.

They duo skidded into the building.

"Help us! Someone!" The man said and instantly nurses came over with a bed, extracting the woman from the man's trembling arms.

The nurses wheeled her off and Ladybug and the man followed as far as they could.

"Is she going to be alright?"

A doctor looked at him.

"We'll do our best sir." Was all that he said in what Marinette thought was English before putting on his scrubs uniform hurriedly.

Ladybug looked at the artist, only recognising who he was at that moment.

"You're José Havóre."She said, wondering why she hadn't realised it before,he was a famous French Makeup artist.

He looked at her for a moment before gasping.

"We left Miss Marinette behind with that demon!"He gasped.

Ladybug's eyes widened.

"I'll go back for her, you take care of her."Ladybug gestured to the ICU room.

"Your effort will not be in vain Ladybug, I will make sure she lives."The man said.

Ladybug nodded before opening her mouth to voice a question.

"Wait, why were you locked up?"

"That bitch. She's blackmailed me. She threatened my life. I didn't know what to do, she made me make this woman look identical to Marinette ,and I did so she wouldn't kill me. I can't testify against her without proof however.I have no proof, and word of mouth from this woman- Fleur- and I would be worth nothing against the Mayor's daughter." He hissed the last part.

"It doesn't matter if I'm famous too, if it's her word against mine, I'm dead."

Ladybug frowned.

"Wait, wont she come after you now?"

"Not if I keep my mouth shut. She allows the people she's blackmailed to live because she knows we won't say anything."

"So none of you are going to even testify?"

"And get beheaded or something by order of the Mayor for spreading 'false rumours'?I think not."The man looked at the ground.

"We're pathetic…But we do want to live."

He looked up at Ladybug.

"Please save Marinette."

Ladybug nodded. "Okay but is it safe to be here with Chloe that close?"

"No, but as soon as she's stabilized I can get a transfer for this young woman,Possibly out of London."

"Wait ,where are we?"

"London…" José said.

"I need to go to Paris."Ladybug said.

"I can get you there in my jet if you like."José offered.

Ladybug nodded.

"I'll save Marinette and meet you back here."

"I'll call one of my agents to get you transport to the airport." José said.

Ladybug nodded and left the hospital, running back to the warehouse to find everyone still unconscious.

She wasted no time in dragging them downstairs and locking them in the cells after duct-taping their limbs. She needed to buy time for José and that woman, Chloe and her goons could rot down here till the woman could be transferred out.

How could Chloe be so cruel? Why did she kidnap her in the first place?

And why did she make Jose make that woman look like her and hurt her instead of fighting Marinette herself?

She knew Chloe hated her but why would she go that far?It just wasn't adding up.

She ran back to the hospital to find José waiting outside.

"She's safe, and I locked Chloe and her goons downstairs." José nodded.

"After Fleur is transferred I'll tip one of the cops off that someone is being held captive over there so you don't have to worry about her dying down there because of you or anything."he said.

Ladybug smiled and a car pulled up.

"This man will take you to the airport."

Ladybug frowned. "I don't have my passport."

José tapped his chin.

"Do you plan to go through customs?"

"No…"Ladybug said.

José grinned. Then who's going to check.

"Isn't that illegal?"

"Are you going to get caught?"

"I'd like to think not."

"Don't let them see you get onto the Jet, and when it lands, don't let them see you get can do this."José said.

Marinette smiled gratefully.

"Thank you so much José, I appreciate it."

He smiled. "No,Thank _you_ for saving meme!Until we meet again, Ladybug."He said and Ladybug stepped into the car.

 **MLML**

Adrien stared impassively at the water below. The Pont Neuf wasn't that high. The fall was survivable. A better, more reliable route to death would have been jumping off the Eiffel tower. Now _that_ would guarantee a swift death.

Adrien opened his water bottle and eyed the bottle of painkillers in his hand.

The Eiffel tower would be a certain death, unless of course, you planned to overdose and then throw your overdosed self off a bridge, now that would be a certain death too.

He opened the bottle and began to pop the pills. . .

Two.

Six.

Ten.

Fifteen.

Eighteen.

Twenty.

 **MLML**

Ladybug used her yoyo to swing all the way out of the airport. She was back in Paris. She was so frightened of being caught that she went straight home. If one thing was for certain, it was that she needed to brainstorm. What did José mean when he said that Chloe was blackmailing many people?

What was going on with Chloe?

She dropped onto the balcony of her new home, and cautiously entered the house as the trapdoor was not locked. It seemed the place was empty and with a sigh of relief, she dropped her transformation.

"Well done Marinette!For your first time, you were absolutely brilliant."Marinette smiled at Tikki who had just appeared.

"Thank you, but it was really weird that Chloe was the one who kidnapped me.I mean,I know we hate each other but to go as far as kidnapping me?I wonder why though…"

Tikki looked thoughtful.

A cold breeze from the open trapdoor made her shiver.

"Let me just lock the trapdoor."She said to the kwami and climbed up her loft with the key…that was when she saw the note.

"Dear Plagg… Hey…Hey wait this is Chat's writing!"

Tikki flew over.

Slowly Marinette's eyes glided over the page and with each passing word she began to pale.

"Marinette?Marinette what's going on."

Marinette covered her mouth in horror.

"Chat's going to kill himself."She whispered. Her eyes zoned in on the name Chloe…and Nino.

Suddenly it all hit her.

The person behind all the attacks…The person who had done all of that to Chat was…was _Chloe._

She…She was the one who raped him…She was the blackmailer. Marinette's mind began to spin.

Chloe was in a 'relationship' with Adrien Agreste…

That meant…That would mean that…

Marinette's eyes widened as she realised the identical features of Adrien and Chat. All the things he said about himself matched up to Adrien.

It now made sense how he easily 'kidnapped' Adrien.

She looked up at Tikki with wide eyes.

"Tikki we need to find Chat!"She gasped.

Tikki looked at Marinette's distraught face.

"Alright Marinette, let's look at what we know. He's addressed this letter to Plagg, right?So that means that Plagg isn't with him."

"Which means he's not Chat at the moment,he's Adrien…"Marinette nodded.

"And he tells Plagg to tell Nino something, so that means he's not with Nino."

Marinette nodded in agreement.

"If he was here last, I should see if he took any of my knives, maybe we can eliminate slit veins. That would leave us with jumping off something or overdose."

"Or both if he's jumping off a bridge, if he's drugged it would be harder to swim back to surface and death is imminent,"Tikki said slowly.

Marinette wasted no time running downstairs and checking her drawer. Her cutlery was all new and since she was on her own, she only had seven knives. All seven were there.

She paused and glanced at the medicine cabinet. Hoping that she wouldn't find anything missing, she walked up to it, only to find one of the new bottles of painkillers missing.

"Chat…"She half whispered and ran back upstairs.

"He took a bottle of pills."

Tikki was looking at something on the floor.

"These's a spot of blood here…and here. It's possible that he left a trail."

Marinette nodded.

"Tikki, transform me."Marinette became ladybug in a flash of pink and jumped out the window, keeping an eye out for spots of blood on the street down below.

Chat had a set of keys, so if he was not transformed, he would have exited the house as Adrien, which meant he would have been walking on the pathways.

She jumped down and zoned in on a small spot of blood. It was in the direction opposite of the Eiffel tower.

That left her with the bridges. Or anywhere actually if he did overdose… Wherever he was, she needed to figure it out soon.

 **ML**

Adrien's nose began to bleed again, but he bared it no mind as he slowly stepped over the railing of the bridge. He was so, so dizzy, but he would let the drugs take it's full toll before he let go.

He looked up at the sky. It was starry…Marinette would have liked that. He thought and smiled brokenly.

With a deep sigh, he looked back down at the water, and his hands no longer had the strength to hold on…

So he let go.

 **ML**

Plagg steered Berry throughout Paris and still, didn't find Adrien, but hadn't fully checked the three dozen or so bridges over the Seine.

"Just a little more Berry, I know you're tired but when we find him he will have to treat us both to Massages." Plagg said, refusing to believe that he was too late. Adrien was not dead.

He flew over the bridges before Berry chirped at something on the bridge.

Plagg realised instantly who it was.

"Go!"He said and Berry began to fly at full speed towards Adrien who had just let go of the rail.

In that moment, time stilled as Plagg jumped off Berry and fell directly onto Adrien's right were halfway to the water as Plagg slipped the ring onto Adrien's finger. From the blood leaking out of Adrien's nose Plagg knew Adrien had overdosed, and if he hit the water in that state, he would die…

So he did the only thing he knew he could.

"Reversal."

And they switched.

All at once Plagg felt the effects of the drugs Adrien took being drawn into him,and it made his already feverish head even more dizzy.

With a start he realised that when he was like this…

He wasn't immortal.

He smiled as he fell. It was cold, his hair whipped at his face, and he couldn't help but laugh at the irony,he would be dying because he couldn't land on his feet.  
Some cat he was.  
At least he lived up to the expectation of having the worst luck...  
The air was still silent, and as he stared at the stars above him, and he couldn't help but feel fearless in that single moment.  
It was an inevitable death,one that had been predetermined as soon as the persona of Chat Noir had first come into existence,and still, he couldn't find himself regretting anything.

He regretted neither the hardships he faced...nor the pain. If dying in the name of love was the way he'd be leaving this agonizingly cruel and selfishly obsidian-tainted world behind then he was okay with it.  
He closed his eyes,refusing to let the Liar known as fear to deter his decision,he had made this choice,and he was already falling to his demise,it was too late to have a change of heart.  
It was too late.  
The face of his blue eyed star-crossed lover flashed behind his lids and his throat constricted.

He loved her.  
But it was too late.  
He couldn't save himself.  
She couldn't save him from himself this time around.  
He refused to regret his choice.  
For a second he opened his eyes, he would hit the water soon,and gravity would annihilate whatever was left of his tired mind and drained body.  
He smiled.  
Fate was a cruel,cruel lady, but in another life,he would make her pay.  
In another life...

Maybe Tikki wouldn't be too mad, he was doing this to save Adrien. He was being selfless, and maybe she would forgive him for that.

The next few moments were agonizing.

The water acted as cement as his back and head hit it and combined with the effects of the drugs, Plagg could barely move. In fact, he couldn't.

He stared upwards, he would release the reversal once he had cleaned Adrien's system of the drugs so that Adrien could make it to the surface safely.

He blinked as the drugs to their full toll on his body instead of Adrien's…

' _So this is what death feels like_?'

' **Plagg?What are you doing?'**

' _Saving your ass.'_

' _ **Plagg no!You're taking in the drugs and the impact of the fall,didn't you say you can die in this form?!'**_

' _I am dying, but I need you to live,I gave up my life for you Adrien, so…don't…let it go to…waste.'_

' _ **Plagg?!Plagg answer me!'**_

'Hey Kid, you're still…my kitten. So…You better listen to me okay?'

' **Plagg stop it!'**

Before anything else could be said, something wrapped around Plagg's arm and he was hauled up above the water and onto the bridge.

Plagg's eyes remained closed and his saviour stared down at him in absolute horror.

Plagg didn't look to be breathing…

" _ **Plagg wake up!Plagg!"**_

Plagg was still silent…

…

His eyes weren't opening.

…

But his tail twitched.

He didn't feel so good, but he opened his eyes to find bluebell ones looking down at him.

He was lying on his back on the bridge.

It took him a moment to focus.

…

Slowly, he began to smile in realisation and his hazy green eyes twinkled.

"Took you long enough Princess,Loverboy over here had his panties up in a twist."

Ladybug laughed. "Could I speak to him?

Plagg smiled. "I get to speak to Tikki afterwards, right?"

"Deal."Ladybug said.

Plagg blinked away some drowsiness. He had absorbed most of Adrien's OD, going back into the ring would help him overcome it.

"Reversal."

Plagg began to Morph into the change was over, Chat's eyes remained closed for a moment. Then, they opened and stared up at Marinette.

And once he did, he earned the hardest slap to his face that he had ever received in his entire life.

"You absolute MORON! Oh my Gosh Chat what is wrong with you?!"

He was then pulled in for a hug, the held at arms distance on the ground. He looked at the masked person and froze when he saw the eyes.

"I thought you died!I thought I was too late!Chat-ADRIEN, why would you do something like that?!Why? Adrien, Chat, whatever you want me to call you, I never meant those things, I was so angry-"

"Marinette?"He croaked.

"Yes it's me you jerk!"She smacked him on his chest. "I can't believe you,and you've been friends with Nino?You two lying-"

Chat grabbed her face and stared at it.

"How are you here?"

"Huh?"

"You're not dead,Marinette you're not dead!" Chat pulled her into a bone crushing hug.

The baggage that had been ripping at his heart fell away and he was able to take a proper breath without it being painful.

"Well Chloe kidnapped me but I didn't die or anything- Wait, you knew I was missing?"

"She shot you!I _saw you die!"_ He choked into her hair.

Ladybug frowned.

Chat began to cry and Ladybug's eyes widened.

"I didn't mean what I said, you're nothing like her, and I love you so much Marinette, I love you more than anything and I didn't want to live without you,I can't live without you-"

Ladybug wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'm sorry too…Everything I said to you… Forgive me kitty."She whispered. Chat held her tighter.

If Plagg hadn't saved him then he would have died thinking Marinette was dead.

Chat's eyes shot open.

"Plagg…"He realised in horror what he had just done.

Plagg sacrificed himself to save him.

"He's alright. At least, he seems like it, but his eyes were hazy. Tikki said as long as he's alive when he gets back into the ring,he'll be okay."

Chat closed his eyes.

' _That's right kid, I risked my gorgeous ass over here for you,do you have any idea how much water stings the Gluteus Maximus from a height?Like have you forgotten vertical projectile motion?'_

Chat took a calming breath and pulled Ladybug down with him.

"I love you."He said softly.

"I love you too. I figured out you're Adrien by the way."Marinette said.

Chat chuckled. "I realised that once you called me Adrien after that super-slap.I actually felt that even with the suit."

"Good, you were meant to."

Chat pouted.

"I messed up…I'm sorry."He said.

" _We_ messed up. I'm sorry too…But if you ever try something like this again I swear-"

"I won't My lady."

Tikki floated around in the Miraculous with a smile,that is before a cold, prickly feeling ran up her spine.

Plagg watched the exchange with a smirk from inside the ring,but his ears began to pick up some strange frequencies. He floated into an upright position.

' _Adrien. Adrien, I need you to come into the ring.'_

"What?"

' _Adrien,I'm going to do a reversal, and no matter what happens, you need to trust me.'_

"What are you talking about Tikki?" Marinette said with a from, talking with her own Kwami, unaware of the conversation Plagg and Adrien were having.

' **Reversal**.'

Chat hissed and Ladybug squeaked as they were forced into the ring.

' _ **Whats going on Plagg?!'**_

' _ **Tikki?Tikki what's happening?'**_

A woman with Red hair covered in some places with round black dots and Antennae wearing a black and red cocktail dress studded with gems appeared,She wore long red gloves and black heels with red platforms. Her lashes were long and dark and her lips were a matte red.

She looked around her cautiously. She probably had a few moments before _he_ came so she looked at Plagg.

"Uhhh,hee hee, hiiiii…"Plagg squeaked.

Tikki raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face.

"What the shit, woman, OWW?!"Plagg held his face.

"What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that my dearest Tikki would be proud of my selflessness!"

Tikki slapped his other cheek.

"OWW!"

"Of all the dumb things one can say, Selflessness?! Of course I'm proud of you!"

She raised her hand to smack his other cheek.

"OWWW TIKKI!"

"But not at the expense of your life!"

"Why are you being so violent!You haven't seen me in years and all you want to do is hit me?"

"No!"

Then she was kissing him...and he wrapped his tail up her leg.

' _ **Oh my God, I'm gonna be sick.'**_

' _ **Uh Tikki…?'**_

' _ **Plagg what the heck is this, you have a girlfriend?!"**_

' _ **Tikki, you're with Plagg?'**_

' _ **Wait so you cut off my moment with Marinette so you could make-out with this spotted insect-woman?'**_

' _ **Ewwww, now I know how Plagg feel's when Chat kisses me.'**_

" _ **What is even happening?Shit ughh Plagg this is disgusting, stop!"**_

" _ **Oh my gosh Tikki where is his tail travelling to?"**_

" _ **Plagg I swear to God if you don't extract your tail from this creature's leg right now I will throw up in this ring."**_

Plagg drew back.

"These children do not know how to shut up."He said.

Tikki looked at Plagg and cleared her throat and stepped back.

"Well isn't this little display adorableeee ,Plagg,Tikki... we meet again."

A man in jumped down onto the bridge. He wore a black vest, khaki pants and combat boots, and over all of that, he wore a white labcoat, a strange looking contraption adorned his waist. He pushed his glasses up his nose.

' _ **Again? What does he mean Again?Who's this guy?'**_

Plagg gritted his teeth.

"Okay Marinette, this is a double reversal. When Plagg and I do a reversal at the same time, we become immortal in these forms. Now that guy over there, he's trying to collect all the miraculous at once, and only Master Fu knows why,all we know is that he must never have all at once, as long as even one is gone, we can beat him. He is Elijah Gabriel,he used to be a Research scientist at the Solstice Labs."

"Exactly what she said, Adrien."

" _ **Okay so what now Tikki?"**_

"Adrien isn't going to like it."Tikki said out loud.

" _ **Plagg, what am I not going to like?"**_

Plagg looked at Tikki with a frown.

"She thinks we should let one of us get captured."

" _ **Absolutely NOT!"**_ Adrien growled.

"I don't like the idea either." Plagg said.

"Hey, aren't you guys going to acknowledge my presence?"Elijah said in annoyance.

"Hello Elijah."Tikki said.

" 'Sup."Plagg said, saluting Elijah.

Elijah tilted his head.

"And I assume you've done a reversal to protect your chosen's from my power?" He asked.

"Pffft, nah. Our chosen's are pretty weak, you'd have much more fun fighting us." Plagg waved a hand and winked.

' _ **Geez, thank's a lot.'**_ Adrien said.

"But I don't want to fight you, I want-"

"We know what you want to do to them,and you're not going to lay a finger on them."Tikki said.

Elijah chuckled.

"Oh my dearest Tikki, as stubborn as always I see. Well, let me tell you something, that stubbornness of yours will ruin you."

"Is that a threat?"Plagg asked.

"It's a promise."Elijah said.

Plagg grinned.

"Well, the only way you could ruin us is if you had all of the Miraculous at once…But you haven't caught us yet!"Plagg grinned before turning around and darting. Tikki ran beside him.

Elijah cricked his neck.

"Foolish Sprites."

He began to chase them.

"Plagg, who's staying behind to fight him off?"Tikki asked as the two turned after crossing the bridge.

"Me and Adrien, you and Marinette can escape and then try to find us."

Tikki shook her head.

"Marinette and I should get captured, we'll be able to escape from Elijah and try and find the others. She and I can transform interchangeably but Adrien can't transform for long periods into Chat because you're still sick. If we go with him, you and Adrien can get healing stones from Fu's place. You know where they're hidden."

" _Or_ Adrien and I can get captured and try to escape from Elijah and save the others and you and Marinette could get the stones and find us."

" _ **Good idea. I think we should do that Plagg."**_

" _ **Adrien's health isn't the best right now, plus he's not very good with stressful situations like being trapped."**_ Marinette said to Tikki.

A large bolt of electricity shot between Plagg and Tikki.

The two glanced behind them.

"You're not getting away from me this time!" Elijah growled.

Tikki spun around, "Who said anything about getting away?"

Plagg turned.

"Tikki-"

"GO!"She hissed.

" _ **Plagg, we can't leave Marinette!Plagg wait we can't let her get kidnapped again!"**_

Plagg gritted his teeth. He knew he nor Adrien would have the energy to fight Elijah off enough to give Tikki a chance to escape, and if Elijah caught both Tikki and himself, all would be lost. He knew if Tikki fought and was caught, he would be able to escape and would be able to make a plan to get the girls and the others back. If he stayed and fought with her he would only be a hindrance.

Plagg closed his eyes.

"I'll see you later then, bug."

Tikki smiled in relief.

"Better be soon, hairball."She answered and faced Elijah who hadn't caught on as yet.

Plagg stepped back,then took another step, before turning and beginning to run.

" _ **Plagg what are you doing?!You're just going to leave them behind?PLAGG ANSWER ME!"**_

' _Kid, I have to, if they catch us all then they'll be worse off.'_

" _ **You're going to abandon them to save your own ass?Plagg we can't!'**_

" _Adrien, Tikki and I have faced much worse, trust me, everything will be fine."_

" _ **I don't want to lose her twice in one day, Plagg don't do this-"**_

" _We will get them back, I promise you that,stay calm-"_

" _ **You're lying!We have to go back!"**_ Adriens voice was cracking and Plagg winced.

" _I'm sorry Adrien…"_

He continued to run.

Elijah growled, and shot a bolt of electricity from his strange contraption at Plagg. Tikki skidded in front of it.

"Disperse!" She said and the electricity shot in different directions.

Elijah growled.

"I see you've learned to overcome electricity little bug."

Tikki frowned.

"We all have." She said. "This is the 21st century after all."

Elijah hummed.

He pulled out something from his belt.

"Do you know what this is?"He asked, holding up what looked like a packet of beans.

"I'm going to assume you've met Jack or a magic bean merchant."Tikki deadpanned.

"These, are Draining stones."

Tikki's eyes widened.

"Impossible, master Fu would never make those for you."

Elijah tsked. "You're right, he wouldn't, but that doesn't mean I couldn't make it myself."

Tikki grinned. "Then they're not going to be as strong as his."

Elijah snarled.

"When I'm done with you I'm going to catch your little boyfriend and drain him of every last drop of his power, in front of you."

Tikki crossed her arms.

"Firstly, we're married."

" _ **Married?!"**_ Marinette squeaked.

"Secondly. You can only go after Plagg once you capture me with your foulplay ,Thirdly Plagg's power is Limitless, nobody runs out of Bad luck."Tikki said.

Elijah stared at her.

"You are right about that. Nobody runs out of bad luck… But they do run out of good luck!"He hissed pulling out what looked like a gun loaded with a slimy black substance and before Tikki could realise what it was, he shot at her leg. She dodged.

"This right here, is Anti-luck. I extracted it from an Akumatized villain myself. Imagine what it would to Lady luck if it hit her."

Tikki's eyes widened.

"You're akumatizing people?"

"Only to extract their resources."

"That's blasphemy!"

"So be it." He shot repeatedly at Tikki who expertly dodged the attacks.

Elijah began to get frustrated.

"Just stay still!" He growled as she began to run across a bridge. He took off after her.

" _Marinette, we just need to keep him at bay for fifteen minutes,I'm sure they'll be safe by then. I've lost practise so this is exhausting me faster than I expected, keep count okay?"_

"Talking to your chosen, are you?"

Tikki breathed heavily.

"We _will_ defeat you. If not now, eventually..."Tikki said.

"I'll take my chances." Elijah said.

 **ML**

Plagg had reached Nino's and dropped into the house. Elijah wouldn't be able to find him.

" _ **Plagg… how could you?"**_

Plagg stayed silent, taking in a calming breath. He refused to let the guilt take over. Sometimes hard decisions had to be made, he and Tikki both knew that…But Adrien and Marinette were still new to this.

"Everything will be okay Adrien."

 **ML**

Tikki breathed heavily. She had been hit twice by the Anti-luck, and was seeing black spots in her vision. She fell to the ground, limp.

"Where is he hiding?" Elijah snarled.

Tikki smiled.

"I have no Idea…guess you're out of luck." She said tiredly.

Elijah's nose twitched.

"So are you." He said. He pulled out a draining stone and shoved it in her mouth. Instantly it dissolved, and she began to lose consciousness.

" _ **Tikki? What's happening? Tikki I'm scared."**_

"Everything will be okay Marinette." She said.

The last thing she saw was Elijah's aggravated face.

" _Because I …don't ever run out of luck."_

Adrien growled in agitation in the constraints of the ring.

Marinette gulped as she felt Elijah pick Tikki up.

Plagg held his head as Adrien shouted at him.

To be honest…Had no idea what would happen now…

"Tikki…"He sighed. "Wait for me." He whispered.

Marinette closed her eyes and thought about Chat. He would come. It would all be okay…

 _ **THE END**_ _ **' of MINE:BOOK ONE OF THE TRILOGY'**_

 _ **Sequel:HIS**_

 **A/N:MUUUUU HAAAA HAAA HAAAAA!**

 **Bet you all really thought I was ending this huh?Hell NAW! Heee heee! I want to thank everyone for waiting patiently for this, and PLEASE REVIEW!**

 **Let me know your thoughts! I'm still answering all the Reviews from the previous chapter, don't worry, I shall answer all!**

 **In the meantime hit that review button!**

 **I decided to post because my birthday was the other day, and exams start next week, so gimme some love.**

 **Pweaase?I love you all!**

 **Till next time!**

 **XOXO**

 **Ra Ra**


	25. Space-Bound

**A/N: MUST READ:**

 **Sequel will be written here in** ** _Mine._**

 **Name of Sequel:** ** _His_**

 **So without further Adieu:**

 ** _HIS_**

 **Space-Bound:**

 ** _Definition-_**

 **1)The act of being in love.**

 **2)** **To** **love** **someone so much and** **lose them** **, yet you're willing to die for them.**

Adrien cried. He should have realised it on that night. He should have known, but he didn't think about it that deeply at the time…

Plagg was running, and she was becoming further and further from his reach.

And he should have realised…but on that night…he didn't.

 **A FEW WEEKS PRIOR TO CHAT'S IDENTITY REVEAL.**

"Puuuurrrrinceessssssss!I'm hoooomeeee!" Marinette rolled her eyes as she watched chat saunter into the kitchen and put something into the freezer, a smirk delicately placed on the perfection that she knew was his face.

Just why was he so beautiful again? She shook her head, right, she was supposed to be baking, she needed to concentrate.

But….He was doing the thing with his face…The one that made him look like the most devilishly handsome man in the world…

"Hey Kitten, you know, you can't do that when my parents get back,right?"

Chat jumped up to sit on the counter, next to Marinette's bowl of batter so that she was near him on his left. He pouted.

"You should just run away with me, and we could live happily ever after, in Sydney or something."He said,grinning at her and pushing his face right into her personal space.

Marinette laughed and pecked his nose.

"I told you once,and I'll tell you a hundred times,I'm not leaving till I get my degree and make enough money on my own to leave."

Chat let out a whine. "But that's not fair."He pouted.

"How so?"

Chat just crossed his arms,pouted and turned his head. Marinette sighed and placed her spoon and batter down, moving to stand in front of Chat who was still perched on the counter, when he still didn't look at her she hoisted herself onto the counter next to him and turned his head towards her.

"Say we did run away, then what? You'd have to tell me your identity so we could actually get through customs you know."She said.

Chat blinked down at her.

Marinette just smiled.

"Hey relax, I'm not in a rush, you can take your time." She said gently. Chat registered what she said and tenderly leaned forward to nuzzle Marinette's cheek.

"Let's go on a date."He said quietly after a while.

"But we can't go outside." Marinette said as Chat slipped off the counter and stood in front of her.

"An indoor date." He said with a grin.

Marinette looked at him with a canted head. Chat just grinned back, like he knew something she didn't, because truthfully, he did.

When he arrived, he didn't come unprepared.

No, in the lounge sat a large suitcase of items that he had prepared for two days while Plagg and Nino barked out orders .

Chat took a moment to reminisce, he shivered...

" _Stop stop stop if you're going to be romantic you have pull out all the stops kid, trust me, I know what I'm doing."Plagg said, throwing a copy of 'Fifty Shades of Grey' into the case,as to how he had obtained a copy, they boys were oblivious._

 _Adrien had never read the book, so he just nodded when Plagg explained that book dates were really romantic._

" _Dafuq is this?! Plagg! You're going to get his balls skinned!" Nino shrieked, pulling the book out of the bag. Adrien instinctively held his crotch and turned his widened eyes to Plagg._

" _No, I'm trying to get them both hot and bothered." Plagg wiggled his brows and threw the book back into the bag._

" _The only thing that's going to be heated is his balls when Marinette tosses them into the fire!"_

 _Adrien put his other hand over his crotch and stared at Nino with horrified eyes._

 _Such Vulgar language..._

 _He knew that the optimum temperature for the testes of the male was one degree lower than normal body temperature…so for it to be tossed into a fire would probably be bad for them. He gulped._

" _You mean her mouth."Plagg snickered._

 _Adrien gasped at the mutiny._

 _Nino shrieked._

" _If that limp noodle goes anywhere near her mouth I swear I'll chop his sack off myself!"Nino shouted._

 _Adrien raised a brow and pulled the waistband of his sweatpants to look at his…parts._

" _Limp noodle…"He wondered, he never actually thought of it that way and he tilted his head. He wouldn't exactly call it a noodle, but hey, Nino knew his pasta, so who was Adrien to argue?_

" _You take that back or I'll make you eat his sack!" Plagg snarled._

" _I'll take all his sack juice and pour it on your camembert!" Nino yelled back._

" _Whatever!I like my Camembert runny anyway!" Plagg threw a plate at Nino who dodged._

 _Adrien looked at the two with the most disgusted look possible, eyes twitching, mouth half open._

" _You're such a creep! Leave his dick out of this!" Nino took off his shoe and threw it at Plagg._

" _Why? You're jealous it's in this?!"Plagg turned so that Nino was looking at his tiny butt._

 _Nino looked affronted while Adrien's mouth dropped to the floor in absolute horror and shock. Just what was Plagg even watching these days?_

 _Nino was about to retaliate when Adrien stepped between them, raising his hands._

" _GUYS! Can we please stop talking about my reproductive organs or at least my testicles?" He eyed them condescendingly._

 _Nino's eyes twitched._

" _He… still call's them…Testicles?" Nino asked Plagg, looking shocked._

" _Yup."Plagg popped the 'p'. Nino blinked._

" _Hell no."Nino said and walked over to the bag, putting the book back in. "This boy needs all the help he can get." He walked over to the bookshelf and pulled out the novel 'Endless Love' by Scott Spencer before tossing it in the bag too._

 _Adrien looked at Plagg and Nino confused._

" _So she and I have to read Both novels? But what about the Disney Marathon?" He asked._

 _Plagg and Nino looked at him, smacking their heads._

" _He's going to dry up and have no sperm someday." Nino said._

 _Adrien tilted his head._

" _But… But males produce sperm till they die, unlike women who eventually reach menopause and start degenerating..."He said, genuinely confused at that point._

 _Plagg's eye twitched. He looked at Nino._

" _I think I may have Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, it would be best to put those in too. I'm going to go look for them."_

 _Nino nodded._

" _I'm going to go buy him some Viagra." He said and left the room too._

 _That left Adrien all alone in the lounge to pick which Disney movies he would take with him, and so, with a vibrant smile on his face, he walked over to the movie shelf._

He looked at Marinette and lifted her off the counter and placed her on the floor.

"You see, my excruciatingly beautiful girlfriend," He started as he walked backwards into the lounge, holding her hands as he gently pulled her along.

"While you were in the kitchen making a kerfuffle," He snickered knowing full well that the word 'Kerfuffle' always got her to roll her eyes, and she did with a laugh.

"I was setting up…DUN DUN DUN! A picnic fort…thing." He said looking at the quite large fort that her had set up in the lounge,in front of the TV. The lounge lights were off but his setup glowed brightly.

It certainly looked expensive, especially with the fairy lights hanging on the fabric and rose petals scattered around it, it looked a lot like a canopy fort with a ring at the top with fabric that all met at the roof where it was hung on a little hook on the ceiling, from the ring, the fabric draped down, all around to the floor. It was adorable and spacious. Inside the canopy fort were lots and lots of pillows and blankets that covered the big circular air bed. It certainly looked like the mix between a cuddly bed setting and a picnic. There were several boxes of pizza, lots of Juice-boxes, among other snacks lying just outside the fort.

Marinette looked at the grinning young man in shock.

"How did you…?"

He scratched his neck with a chuckle.

"Well actually I've been here for more than an hour, you make a lot of noise when you bake so you didn't hear me."he shrugged.

Marinette didn't know what to say.

"So, since we haven't actually been on an actual date, I'm asking you now." He cleared his throat and Marinette's cheeks turned red and he placed one hand over his heart and looked at her with burning intensity.

"Marinette, you are going on a date with me." He said with finality.

Marinette accidentally snorted, laughter flowing past her lips.

"You call that asking?" She laughed and it was Chat's turn to have his face flame up.

"W-what? I didn't want to give you the opportunity to say no!" He said in defense.

Marinette laughed harder.

"I mean, just picture it, I come all this way and then you say no, and then what? I eat the pizza myself? That would be mortifying." He groaned.

"I suck at this courtship thing." He covered his eyes with a hand.

Marinette giggled and reached up to remove his hand.

"You're doing great, and yes, it seems I _am_ going on a date with you." She said, running her thumbs across his red cheeks.

"Oh thank goodness, for a minute there I thought I'd be watching _The Princess and the Frog_ alone." He breathed a sigh of relief and with a heart-throbbing grin at her, he picked her up, princess style and walked over to the fort, after getting comfy, he let her pick whatever snacks she wanted before beginning the movie. He explained that for one day only, he would cheat on his diet which made Marinette very, very happy.

The two of them cuddled together as they watched Tiana ride the bus and Marinette sighed happily as Chat gently scratched her scalp and combed her hair out gently with his fingers as she rested her head on his chest, but by the time the Voodoo man stepped on Ray, she was scratching behind the upset kitten's ears.

"I really liked Ray."He muttered into her lap.

"I know, love."

"But now he's just floating down the river."Chat said.

"Ah but just look Kitty."She smiled down at him and pointed at the screen. Sure enough, a second star appeared next to Evangeline.

Chat gasped and sat up abruptly. He looked back at her with childlike excitement pointing at the TV.

"He's a star now, look!"he said happily and Marinette just smiled at his antics. It was clear that he had never seen the Disney movies before, and it made sense, his life had always been studying or work, and that left no time to be a child.

He began to pout.

"That place seems a bit unsanitary though, I'd never want to use the toilet there, imagine if a Candiru got you."He shivered. "And then you'd have to get it surgically removed. I would definitely NOT want to remove that from anyone."He said, thankful that he specialized in heart-related matters, not that he didn't know how to operate in different parts though.

Marinette laughed as he innocently spread her legs and settled himself down so that she could continue petting him. He really was such a kid.

She thought about what he just said. Sometimes she forgot just how much of a genius he was. He had a brilliant mind, but with everything he faced and the parts of his life that he missed out on, he was still so innocent, he was just damaged. He didn't understand a lot of things. He knew how the world worked. How humans functioned. How machines were designed. But simple things like certain feelings confused him. It was strange to her how he could be knowledgeable about everything except the things that should have been instinctive.

Other normal things too Like popsicles. The first time she handed him one he stared at it uncomfortably as it dripped down, and as soon a drop hit the floor, the look of utter shame and fear of being reprimanded that crossed his face broke her heart.

He later explained that he was never permitted to actually eat popsicles growing up, so he never actually did.

He looked up at her as he sipped from his cranberry juicebox straw as his back rested against her tummy and his head rested against her chest.

"Hiiii."He said with a grin.

Marinette smiled and kissed his temple twice.

His cheeks turned pink, it was barely visible through his tan but she saw.

"Awww is the baby blushing?" She giggled and shifted to see his face.

"The baby is not blushing." Chat said, turning his flushed face in the opposite direction.

"I think he is." Marinette said.

"He's not." Chat huffed.

"Let me see." Marinette said.

Chat grabbed a pillow and shoved his face into it.

Marinette tried to pull the pillow but he wouldn't budge.

She looked at his unprotected abdomen and smirked evilly. Chat peaked over the pillow.

"Princess?" He croaked at the cynical look on her face.

Suddenly her fingers were or his tummy, tickling him mercilessly.

"St-stop!This is-s a-a-assault!" He said through laughs, his pillow forgotten.

"Ohhh I knew the baby's face was red!" Marinette said, straddling him.

"It's not,It's not!" He whined through laughs.

Marinette stopped tickling him and pinned his arms next to his head while he took deep breaths.

"What is it then?"She asked.

Chat pouted. "Maybe I have allergies."He mumbled.

"To what? Kisses?"She mused and he quickly shook his head.

"I think it is, it has to other explanation could there be for the redness of your face."She dramatically clutched her heart and Chat propped himself up on his elbows. "I think we shouldn't kiss anymore."

Chat's eyes widened.

"I can't live knowing that I'm making your skin have allergic reactions." She fake sobbed.

Chat looked trapped.

Marinette sniffed. "Don't worry kitty, I will never make you suffer that fate ever ag-"She was cut off from her dramatic act when Chat sat up and captured her lips with his own. It startled her because she had been expecting a retort or a whine or something other than his bold action, not that she was complaining, because she sure as hell wasn't.

Her hands twined around his neck as one of his sifted into her open hair and the other slid down to her waist. Chat grinned into the kiss for some reason, and even though Marinette was unsure of the reason, she was smiling too as he tilted his head and she straddled his lap. Gently, he ran his tongue along her bottom lip, eliciting a small shiver, it was enough to make her open her mouth in a small gasp, but Chat took the initiative to pull her even closer and let his tongue gently invade her mouth. He was rewarded with a soft moan and the feel of her pressing up against him even more than she previously was. Their hearts beat rapidly and because of their close proximity, each lover could feel the others rapidly thumping heart…And they each reveled in it.

One of her hands tugged at his hair while the other slid down his neck. Chat's hand went from her hip to her waist. He pulled away from her mouth for a second to leave a trail kisses down her neck, and when he pulled her head back gently with her hair so that he could suck on a sensitive spot beneath her collarbone, Marinette let out a delicate whimper, full of want, coated with need.

Upon hearing this sound, Chat took a sharp breath, but it seemed to be almost shaky. Her noises and her breathing and everything about her entire being was doing things to his body.

Dangerous things.

She forcefully pulled his face up and caught his lips, biting his bottom one none too gently. It sent a tingle through his chest and down to…places, when she let out a low moan when he kissed her back.

She shifted in his lap, and upon doing so brushed against certain areas of Chat that she had yet to discover.

They both made a sound at the contact before they both went rigid.

He slowly looked up at her face to find her looking down at him, curious and breathless.

His breath caught at how beautiful she looked, disheveled like that and glowing.

"I have a confession." He croaked knowing that they needed to stop.

"Yeah?"

He gulped.

"I was blushing earlier, I don't have an allergy to your kisses."

She blinked once, then twice before beginning to giggle. She smiled and leaned forward to kiss his forehead.

"I know kitten. I know." She said. Moving herself to give him some room so that they both could calm down.

Chat took deep breaths.

Marinette took the initiative pull in some pizza and put 'Beauty and the Beast' on.

She took her time, and when she turned Chat was relaxed, looking at her dopily.

She grinned back and crawled over into his waiting arms.

This time, she had shifted so that her back was against his abdomen and her head was on his chest will his chin rested on her head and his arms held her lovingly.

"You're like the beast." Marinette giggled.

"Excuse you princess, I am much more handsome than him, thank you very much." He said haughtily.

"Character wise kitten."

Chat huffed.

"Is this because I demanded that you go on this date with me?"

Marinette tapped her chin.

"Maybe."

Chat sighed. "But Beast is so…moody. One minute you think he's nice enough, and then he goes crazy and wants to destroy everything." He said.

Marinette slowly turned and looked at him with a pointed brow.

Chat was quiet for a moment.

"Ohhhh, I see the connection now." He chuckled and gave her a gentle squeeze.

Marinette hummed.

Soon the movie was done and Chat sighed happily.

"Honestly, this was pretty cool, but the best part of the movie was when Gaston died." he said giddily.

Marinette laughed. "Not when you got to see Lumiere as a human?"

Chat paused.

"He seemed fine as a candlestick to me." He shrugged.

Marinette laughed.

"Oh wait, it's time!"

"Time for what?" Marinette asked at his giddiness.

"You'll see." He said dubiously.

He slowly peeled her off him and hopped up to enter the Kitchen, he turned around at the last moment.

"Stay." He said and Marinette rolled her eyes when he turned around once more.

After a few moments, he returned, holding something behind his back.

Marinette looked at him curiously.

"What are you hiding you sneaky cat?" She narrowed her eyes at him as he entered the fort and knelt in front of her.

"The baby must guess." He said to her.

"But the baby doesn't know." She pouted.

"The baby must attempt." He said shaking his head.

"Urrrmm, is itttt Cake?"

"Nope…"

"Is it Oreos?"

"Nope."

"Uhhh….I give up."

He grinned at her.

"It's…"He paused.

Then he pulled out a huge tub of…

"Pistachio icecream!"She practically jumped him.

"Whoa where did you find it?"She asked.

He waved a hand.

"I know people." He simply said.

She squealed and gave him a big kiss on the cheek.

The two took their spoons and they began to eat their icecream.

Marinette sighed happily. "This is the best Pistachio icecream ever."She said.

He chuckled nervously, recalling how he actually got the icecream…

" _Soooo, you're telling me, nobody has Pistachio icecream, anywhere?"Adrien asked incredulously._

 _Nino shook his head._

" _But I did find the Viagra."Nino happily handed it to him. Adrien's eye twitched._

" _I do not have a dysfunctional penis!"He said throwing the box at Nino's head._

 _Plagg was scrolling through some youtube videos._

" _You know, we could always make the icecream, I mean I heard homemade icecream is really delicious."Plagg mused._

 _Three hours and one broken mixer later found Nino holding Plagg by the head in a bowl of double cream._

" _Kick faster!"Nino said as he moved Plagg around by the head, so he served as a handheld beater._

 _It was too late to get a mixer at the store. Adrien just watched them with wide eyes._

" _My princess is going to be eating something that_ ** _you both_** _made."Adrien whispered to himself in horror._

 _Nino turned his and Plagg's head to Adrien._

 _They gave him the stink eye._

" _Shut up and take your Viagra."Nino and Plagg hissed._

 _And that found the box flying at Nino's head once again._

Marinette sighed. "I'll have to finish my baking tomorrow, I think."

Chat licked his spoon.

"Most definitely," he said happily, unapologetic because he knew Marinette needed a break and they were having a lot of fun.

"How was Campus today?"He asked.

"It was good mostly, we had to create traditional wedding dresses for these creepy little dolls."

And that launched her into a long elaborative, one-sided discussion about her designs. Chat listened attentively, adding comments here and there but for the most part, he stayed silent.

"How was your day?" She asked.

Chat grinned.

"Well, it was certainly eventful. I've been hit with erotica books at least seven times, that's excluding yesterday."He said and casually waved his dessert spoon around.

"But why?"

"Well, Plagg and one of my friends think I have E.D., they keep shoving me Viagra,playboy magazines, and novels."

Marinette began to giggle.

"It's not funny!"Chat huffed, poking her with his spoon.

"What did they make you read?"

"Fiftyshadestrilogy…"He mumbled, his face turning red.

"Pardon?"

"I said, the Fiftyshadestrilogy."He mumbled again.

Marinette paused, brows furrowing, knowing full well what Christian Grey went through.

"Plagg…made you read…that?"She asked, nostrils flaring,eyes looking very upset.

Chat blinked at her. Realisation dawned on his face.

"Wait, he just forgot."Chat reasoned.

"How can you _just forget_ that."

"It hasn't happened in so long, I don't think he meant it-"

"You read all of it?"She asked quietly.

He nodded. He took a deep breath.

"To be honest… I'm certain he didn't forget…"Chat started.

"Then?..."

"Well, if you look at it, you're kind of like Ana and I'm a bit like Christian,minus the, urm, stuff."He scratched his neck and took a deep breath.

"It's like, Christian didn't think about love and being with someone before Ana, but then she showed up and made him see things differently and he figured that he was willing to risk straying from his usual path because he wanted to be with her,kind of like you and I."He said slowly.

"In the end Christian has a happy ending, and they have Teddy and a little girl on the way, so regardless of what happened to him…He made it out, he got to be with the woman he loved and they lived happily ever after. I think what Plagg wanted me to understand was that I can have a happy ending too."He said,fiddling with his spoon.

Marinette reached forward and pulled her against him. For a second he stayed frozen with his hands upwards, one holding the spoon, the other just open, his face stunned.

"I promise we'll have a happy ever after too."She whispered.

Chat blinked and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer and burying his face into her neck.

"Do you mind that I'm not a prince?"He asked.

"Have you not learned anything from the Disney movies kitten?"She asked, toying with his hair.

His expression contorted into a confused one.

Marinette drew back to hold his face.

"If you marry royalty, technically you become one,and aren't I a princess?"She grinned at him.

Chat blinked.

"Are you proposing?" He asked.

She snickered.

"Princess, I'm afraid I must see a ring first."he said sassily.

"Oh just say yes, you're destroying the moment."

Chat laughed and slowly laid back,taking her with him.

"Do I even have to say it?You already know the answer."He said tenderly, reaching out to finally press the switch on the Fairy lights,the lounge light was off and so was the when he turned off the lights, they were in darkness.

"Hey,look up."Chat said. Marinette blinked at turned to look at the top of the Canopy fort. At least fifty or so glow in the dark stars dangled from the top, giving off the impression that the couple themselves were floating in space.

"This is so beautiful."She gasped,cuddling closer.

Chat just smiled at her in the dim light of the stars, etching every bit of her that he could see into his memory.

"Space-bound."Marinette said.

"Space-bound."He agreed.

Chat just held her tightly and that night, they both drifted into a tranquil sleep, feeling that they could touch the sky.

 **mlmlml**

Now, all this time later, in the aftermath of everything, as Plagg ran and Adrien screamed at him from within the ring, it hit him hard to realize that Space-bound had two meanings. One good and one bad, and though they did not realize it on that night… They were right.

They were space-bound.

 **MLMLLMLMLLMLMLMLM**

 **A/N:Why hello there! Ready to kick off** HIS?

 **Also I'm not posting the next chapter till I finish responding to the FC:part 2 of mine reviews, just finished responding to the first part.**

 **ANYWAY,Pretttttyyyy Pleeeeaseeee review!**

 **OH ON THAT NOTE!**

 **.GOSH. GUYS! Because of you wonderful people** ** _Mine_** **currently holds the number one spot for the most reviewed MLB story!EEEPPPP!Thank you so much!Please continue supporting the story and I!**

 **Also, if you have Instagram, GO CHECK OUT yukifrill, she drew some scenes of the story, including the plushy scene!It's amazing!'**

 **And you can also follow me on: rara_erza_heartfilia**

 **AGAIN,PLEASE REVIEW! I love your reviews, they make me feel all happy and fuzzy inside! (Which certainly makes me update faster tbh)**

 **Guest reviewers of FC:Part one can go check out the guest reviewers chapter.**

 **XOXO**

 **Ra Ra**


	26. Explanations

Plagg stayed silent as Adrien shot out words and tumbled around inside the ring.

' _We could have taken him, we didn't have to run! Now how are we supposed to find them? Plagg answer me! The least you can do is answer me!"_

Plagg stayed silent but clutched his abdomen. He winced and ran to the bathroom.

For a few minutes he dug through the cupboards till he found the activated charcoal.

He sighed, made a concoction with the charcoal and ingested it, making a mental note to drink as much water as possible.

Apparently taking Adrien's overdose into his own system wasn't completely safe…

He groaned as Nino entered the bathroom upon hearing the noises.

"Adri- Whoa okay you're not Chat." Nino said with wide eyes.

"Uh yeah, about that…" Plagg scratched behind his ear, atop his head.

Nino's eyes widened further.

"Whoa, _Plagg_? Wait you're hot?"He asked incredulously.

Plagg blinked and snickered.

"You figured me out just by hearing my voice…Maybe you aren't such an idiot after all …"

Nino's mouth dropped open.

"How are you so… so attractive? I mean, you're like ripped, but like just the right kind of ripped, you don't look like a Lunchbar… But…but you only eat Camembert!" Nino pointed his finger at Plagg, accusation dripping off his tone, incredulous that the man in front of him, with fur on his face so smooth, well-kempt and shiny that it looked as if it were just ebony skin, could actually be the same creature that ate smelly cheese all day.

Nino looked at the leather of the suit, it was so very perfect.

The actual cat tail that stuck out of the back instead of a belt assured Nino that this was definitely not Adrien.

He looked back at Plagg's handsome face.

"Nope. No. There's no way in hell you're Plagg." Nino crossed his arms.

Plagg's nose twitched.

"Why the hell am I not?" He retorted.

"Because! If Plagg had to become human his face would be pudgy and he'd smell disgusting!" Nino exclaimed.

Plagg hissed.

"Why you little-"He started, but Adrien began a fresh round of angry screams from within the dark, maddening confines of the ring.

Plagg held his head. While it was understandable that Adrien was beyond aggravated and indescribably mortified at what Plagg had done, it was unfair because he didn't understand just how very necessary it was to leave the girls behind.

Plagg wanted to say something or at least tell Adrien not to cry, but he knew that at the moment Adrien was pissed, and anything he said would be used against him.

But Adrien's breathing was getting louder, and more frantic.

Plagg winced. Adrien had not been managing his anxiety well at all lately. He was having anxiety attacks, one after the other. The tremble in each breath Adrien took made Plagg feel increasingly uncomfortable.

Plagg sighed.

He knew Adrien hated being trapped in the ring because of the darkness in there, no matter how spacious it was, Adrien felt confined. The first time Plagg noticed that Adrien hated dark, enclosed places was while back when Marinette had pushed him into the confines of her chaise when her dad barged in. Adrien was just about ready to bust out of there… So now, it didn't surprise Plagg that being in the ring was making Adrien's anxiety attack worse.

He groaned, he couldn't drop the reversal now, because if he did so, then Tikki wouldn't be immortal, they were only immortal in reversal form if they were attempting reversal at the same time. Until he felt Tikki release reversal, he couldn't go back in the ring. How would he explain it to Adrien?

The small whimpers were affecting him, the negative aura from Adrien made his chest twist. He could never handle Adrien crying, it made him want go on a rampage and thwart everything around his kid, but right now he couldn't do anything about it…

…Except… _that…_

Plagg shook his head. Adrien would murder him.

But… it would be better than being trapped in the ring…

And that way Plagg wasn't technically dropping reversal, because technically he was the true black cat and he didn't actually _need_ Adrien to be in the ring…He just needed him to not be… _human._

Plagg bit his lip, and Nino frowned.

"Where's Adrien? Did everything go okay?" Nino asked tentatively. Plagg's eyes snapped up to Nino's, silently begging him to shut up, but Nino didn't understand what was happening.

Upon hearing Nino's word's Adrien broke out into another wave trembles, and they were so direly intense, Plagg could feel it from the outside.

Plagg rubbed his chest.

"I'd feel more comfortable if you were safe and sound in the ring Kid, but since you aren't having that…"Plagg said quietly… He lifted up his hand and clicked his long fingers, the clear click resounded throughout the bathroom, and suddenly, a small pop sounded and something fluffy, small, and extremely white fell through the air.

Nino's eyes widened…

Plagg's eyebrows shot upward…

"I never imagined you'd be so… fat…and fluffy?" Plagg exclaimed, Nino didn't hear him.

"Oh my gosh…PLAGG YOU HAVE A KID?"Nino was now leaning heavily against the doorframe in shock, using it as a support for his limp-turned body.

Plagg crouched onto the floor and looked at the small ball of fluff.

It was about the size of his palm.

Being a cat, he picked it up in the only way that seemed natural to him…

 _By the scruff of the neck…_

"You could say that…"Plagg said a bit nervously to Nino as he held the fluffball to eyelevel. He eyed it cautiously before thoroughly taking in the way it looked.

Large, curious, bright green eyes.

Soft, fuzzy white fur.

Black fur covering all paws and stopping halfway up each leg.

Plagg sniffed the creature.

A small meow echoed through the bathroom, and Plagg frowned at the trails of tears marring the fluffy fur of the kittens face.

Instinctively, his tongue shot out to lick the tear trails off the Kittens face before Plagg could even stop himself.

Nino gasped. "That…Is a long tongue."

Plagg's eyes widened at his actions and the kitten even mewled in protest softly.

" _Urgh Plagg!"_ Adrien whines rung through Plagg's head.

Plagg coughed. "Sorry, kid, animal instinct?" He laughed nervously.

He could literally see the annoyance in Adrien's green eyes, but he knew Adrien couldn't do anything, kittens generally went limp when mother's picked them up by the scruff.

"It's just… You're so small…and poofy… Like a recently born kitten." Plagg marvelled, turning Adrien slowly.

"Wait, back the fuzz up, _that_ is Adrien?!"Nino squeaked rushing over.

He tried to grab Adrien from Plagg but then Plagg suddenly hissed at him.

Nino looked at him oddly.

"Did you just… hiss?"

Plagg blinked twice and looked down, slightly embarrassed.

"You so did!" Nino said.

Plagg huffed.

"Yeah yeah, make a big deal about a cat hissing." Plagg rolled his eyes, trying to brush it off.

Nino shook his head and crossed his arms, his eyebrow lifted.

"No you hissed because… you didn't want me to touch Adrien." Nino deadpanned.

Plagg shifted his hold on Adrien and held him against his chest.

"Well duh, I'm not handing him over to an idiot." Plagg said snootily.

Adrien looked around, eyes sparkling with confusion.

' _What did you do to me_?' Adrien's voice rang through Plagg's head.

His claws sank into Plagg's chest, but Plagg didn't see the issue. Nino reached out to yank him off.

"Well he's my best friend so shut up, besides you're holding him wrong." Nino said, grabbing Adrien, he started yanking but the kitten let out a sharp whine.

"Ha! See, he doesn't want you!" Plagg said.

"Oh please, his nails are stuck." Nino rolled his eyes.

"He has _claws_ not nails." Plagg said in annoyance, unconsciously scratching behind Adrien's tiny ears.

"Don't get so defensive, it's not like I'm going to hurt him." Nino said with furrowed brows. He was about to say something else but realisation dawned on him as he took in Plagg's stance.

A very… _protective_ stance.

Nino's gaze softened and he tilted his head.

"You…you really see Adrien as your own child…Don't you?" Nino said quietly.

Plagg's eyes shot to his.

"You'd be holding him the way you are now every day if you could."

Plagg opened his mouth to say something, but the words died in his throat.

"Tch, whatever." He said eventually.

Nino gazed at Adrien.

"How did this happen?" He reached over and stroked the fluffy kitten, giving up on trying to get him out of Plagg's hands.

Plagg sighed.

"I think I have to explain this to him first." He said. Nino looked at him, before nodding. Plagg slowly walked to the dining room and placed Adrien down before sitting down on top of the table too.

Adrien looked frightened, confused and angry all at once.

" _Well, go on_." Adrien spoke telepathically

Plagg groaned.

"Okay, there's no point in beating around the bush kid. I'm going to be honest with you, you and I are not nearly as strong as Ladybug…at the moment… our powers are basically needed to back her up, she's generally the leader of the duo, that's how it's always been… Even before… urm… never mind that. Tikki and I have been together for centuries. No matter what, we always find a way back to each other. I didn't help her because I knew that we would find each other like we always have… But I was selfish. I wanted to get you to safety as well because I knew you aren't physically able to help with the fight. The truth is that if we stayed there, Tikki would have been trying to protect us, and while we'd be trying to protect her, we would have been a hindrance. I know you may not agree but kid, I've lived a lot longer than you have, Tikki and have had to separate before. In the case of a forced separation…like today, the longest we've been apart was 7 months."

Adrien's eyes visibly widened.

"I promise you, Adrien, if I didn't already know that Marinette would get back to you safe and sound, I would have stayed. Marinette is safe inside the miraculous, I doubt Tikki would let her out the way I'm doing with you, and as long as Tikki and I are transformed at the same time we're immortal, and when you both are in your Miraculouses you both will be safe…Which is why I'm a bit sceptical about you being out of the ring like this. It's dangerous…"Plagg said.

"Oh and you don't think a man with a tail sticking out of his tailbone, whiskers, ears, glowing eyes and a leather suit isn't dangerous?"

Plagg shrieked upon hearing Nino's voice.

He turned his head to see Nino leaning against the doorpost. Nino pushed off it and walked to the table, before seating himself on a chair.

"I don't know what happened tonight, and I'm not going to push it, but I think you should trust Plagg. He's been in this game far longer than you have; he knows the ins and outs of being a Miraculous Wielder. Besides, you know Marinette, is she not one of the most diabolically talented women ever? Come on bro, you gotta have more faith in her than that! She's going to make it back to you." He stroked Adrien's fluffy face and Adrien looked away in shame.

Plagg nodded.

"Tikki and Marinette together? It's a match made in heaven. Both are insufferably smart dipshits-"

Adrien let out a sharp Meow at Plagg's comment.

"- so they have this under control."

The three were quiet for a moment.

Nino scratched his head.

"Sooo…Marinette also has powers now?"

Plagg nodded slowly.

"And you say that someday I will have them too?"

Plagg nodded again.

Nino sighed.

"Something big is going on Plagg, you aren't being entirely truthful with us." He said quietly. Adrien looked at Nino and Plagg before staring straight at Plagg.

Plagg pursed his lips.

"It's kind of complicated." He said slowly and Nino sighed.

"If you ask me, we've passed the point of being fazed at things that seem 'Complicated'. I think that as a Miraculous wielder and someone who will eventually be a miraculous wielder, Adrien and I deserve to know." Nino stared at Plagg.

Plagg leaned forward and scooped Adrien up, looking disconcerted. It was a look rarely ever seen on the kwami. Adrien, as small and vulnerable as he was, couldn't help but feel that whatever Plagg was hiding couldn't be good.

Plagg looked at Adrien a bit nervously, biting his lip.

"I feel that I'm not the best person for you to hear this from… Especially while you're like this." He looked at Adrien, almost frightened.

Adrien stared back at him. Whatever Plagg was hiding must have been really terrible if the talkative Kwami was hesitating.

"I think it's _because_ he's like this that you should tell him. That way he can't get impulsive and do something stupid."

Adrien glared at Nino who shrugged.

Plagg looked trapped.

 **Meanwhile…**

Elijah reached his lair which happened to be an old laboratory not far from Agreste HQ.

He walked into the building and took the elevator down into the underground tunnels where it seemed that an underground mansion in its own right had been built.

With a look of anger, he chained the unconscious Tikki up on the wall beside Fu and stepped back to press a button on the far wall. Immediately, a cage seemingly made of electricity flared to life around them.

After a few minutes her eyes fluttered open and she looked around blearily, when she saw Fu smiled weakly at him while he looked shocked.

"Tikki?"

"Master Fu… I'm sorry, I got caught…"She whispered.

Fu was about to speak when Elijah whipped around.

"I was so close." He said through gritted teeth.

Tikki stared at him with hard eyes, not flinching.

Marinette watched from within the Miraculous, horrified.

"You can't hurt me, Plagg hasn't changed back yet, I'm immortal." She smarted.

Elijah grinned.

"I love how you Kwami's seem to forget that being immortal doesn't mean you're unsusceptible to pain." He chuckled.

Tikki narrowed her eyes at him.

He pursed his lips. "You know Tikki, I've always had a soft spot for you, and it would make me very sad to have to hurt you, but if you don't cooperate, my hand will be forced." He said.

"Seems like you're going to be very sad then." Tikki replied.

Fu watched Elijah's eyes as they flashed.

"I bet you and Fu think you're so clever, don't you?" Elijah said lowly.

Tikki blinked.

"You thought nobody would figure it out. You thought nobody would figure out that you tried to teach the others reversal."

Tikki just stayed silent.

Elijah reached into his pocket and pulled out the peacock brooch, turning it between his fingers.

"Tell me, Lady Luck, where is Duusu?"He asked.

Tikki inhaled slowly eyes widening at the sight of the lost miraculous.

"She's in her Miraculous." Tikki replied.

"Oh, but she isn't, and you know all about that, don't you?" Elijah chuckled.

"Where else would she be if she's not in the Miraculous?" Tikki asked stiffly.

Elijah tilted his head and walked up to Tikki.

"That's what you'll be telling me." He said.

Tikki pursed her lips.

"I'm afraid you're out of luck, I don't know what you're talking about. Duusu is in her Miraculous, and if you are unable to call her out, it just means you're unfit to use her." Elijah's nose twitched.

"Maybe Duusu is in her Miraculous, maybe she's not, maybe you're genuinely oblivious, or maybe you know exactly where she is." He said.

Fu narrowed his eyes.

Elijah sighed. "But, you and I both know ,Tikki, that you're too smart to ever be oblivious. That, is Plagg's job."

Tikki looked at him with furrowed brows.

"What did you tell Plagg, did you tell him that Fu was trying to keep Duusu safe and that Fu was keeping her aside?"

Tikki stared back at him and inhaled slowly.

"Let me guess, Plagg doesn't even know for certain if Duusu actually attempted the reversal, he just did whatever you asked him too because he trusts you blindly." Elijah said acidly.

"Leave him out of this." Tikki said lowly.

"Why? Do you feel bad that you're basically sponging off his life force? Making him weak, making his chosen think he's a gluttonous pig eating for the sake of eating? "

"I said leave him out of this!" Tikki snapped.

"Why should I? You act so noble and so good, but here you are, draining him of his energy."

"Plagg understands that there's a bigger picture in every situation, and even so, we know nothing of what you speak." Fu interjected.

"Understands?" Elijah snorted.

"All Plagg knows is that Tikki can't sustain her own life force when you aren't giving her those damned magic beans. He doesn't know that you're feeding your life force into Duusu and then draining him of his." He laughed.

Fu and Tikki looked at each other. How did Elijah know this?

"Plagg would never let me die, even if I did need his energy, he would never say no regardless of whether or not I did tell him, but it makes no difference because I don't need his energy." Tikki said.

Elijah tilted his head.

"And he didn't say no." Elijah said as if not hearing anything else except for what he wanted to.

"But Plagg doesn't know that he can't reach his full magic capacity because of you draining him of his energy. All this time, you've had him believing that he was just your sidekick, he was just the weaker of you both, when in reality…it's you. You're the hindrance, not him." Elijah said.

Fu looked at Elijah angrily.

"Plagg is a Kwami, he's been a Kwami long before you were ever born, he knows that sometimes you have to sacrifice something of your own for the greater good of everyone." Fu said.

"Yeah, but that isn't what you told him, is it?"

"I sincerely don't know what you're talking about." Tikki turned her head.

Elijah turned her face back.

"Oh it's too late for that, your retorts were as good as a confession."

"I didn't admit to anything." Tikki said.

"You didn't have to. I shot you with Anti-Magic spells not even an hour ago and somehow you've restocked your magic power and your stamina has increased, you're able to stand now." He said pointedly and Tikki looked down, realising that she was no looking weak on the ground.

"And that energy certainly didn't come from you, and Duusu can't give you energy back like you donate to her because she's not your partner. So that leaves Plagg, poor trusting, oblivious Plagg. Is that why you told him to run? Was it because you knew as long as he was okay you could continue draining him?"

"It's not like that." Tikki said.

"I think it is. I think you realise that. Fair enough, you both are immortal, but…"

Elijah walked to his study desk and pulled out a book from the drawer.

Tikki and Fu both inhaled sharply.

"That's…"Tikki whispered.

"How did you get that?" Fu asked, face contorted in thought.

Elijah leaned against his desk and flipped to a bookmarked page.

"It says:

 _Though Kwami's have inexplicably long lifespans, should one be drained completely of their power and has the inability to replenish it as fast as it is drained then the said Kwami will inherently pass on, however, since Kwami are immortal they will be reborn, having no memory or recollection whatsoever of their previous life and relationships. Though they will be able to operate and function just as perfectly as they did in their past life, knowledge about the historical events throughout time that they have experienced first-hand is invaluable. As far as possible, Kwami should prevent such a fate. If necessary, life force can be shared, however only the Kwami of Luck, Tikki, is able to give life force to other Miraculouses, unfortunately this would mean that Tikki would be drained. In such a circumstance, the Guardian must create the Energy stone and feed it to Tikki for however long that he shares her energy. The recipe for the Energy Stone can be found under the Chapter 89: Essential Concoctions. An alternative to the Energy stone is sharing her partner's energy. Plagg, the Kwami of Destruction is ironically the only Kwami to have mastered the ability to Create his own energy. Although said to be brainless fool-"_

 _Elijah pauses to chuckle while Tikki and Fu have turned pale as ghosts._

" _-he has learned how to utilize the organic compounds in cheeses, Camembert to be specific. Methyl Ketones are abundant in the mould-ripened cheese, particularly Heptan-2-one and nonan-2-one. The body of any creature can use fatty acid or glucose to generate energy, however this isn't the case with the brain as it can only use Glucose or KETONES to produce the energy it needs, and preferably, it uses Ketones. Understanding this concept enabled the Kwami Plagg to also use it as an efficient fuel that provided more energy per unit oxygen used. The other Kwami, due to their small statures, are unable to stomach the cheese despite Plagg's reassurance that he too couldn't keep the cheese down for at least a decade and later learned to through resistance training._

 _He is also the only one to figure out a way to share his energy with his Wielder, sadly, as far as his capabilities of sharing go, he is restricted to the Miraculous wielder and Tikki. Plagg has been known to be impulsive and mischievous throughout the years, choosing not to use his vast intelligence due to certain bad experiences and flawed plans in his past, so for the best interest of the Earth and it's inhabitants, Plagg should not be allowed out of the Miraculous box unless under the supervision of Tikki. It should be noted that while Plagg shares his energy, his Magic power is severely dimmed and is unable to use many of his trademark powers such as Catatonia, Catawampus, Catharsis, Catition, Catapult. He can still use a few of his powers such as Reversal, an art available to both Plagg and Tikki, but it is not recommended unless it is performed by Tikki at the same time which will render the Kwami's immortal and should they 'die' they can be reborn, however if it is performed alone the Kwami will become mortal. If the Kwami dies in reversal, he or she will not be reborn. "_

Elijah looked up with a grin.

"This book has taught me everything I need to know."

He pushed off the table.

" I know that I can change the past with all of you in my possession. That's all I want… But even if I do get Plagg, I still need Duusu, and you've hidden her."

Fu looked at Elijah.

"You don't realise the knock-on effect that changing the past would have on the world." Fu said.

Elijah tilted his head.

"The world goes on about changing their future. For me, the only way to change the future is to undo the past." He said.

"That's not how it works! Elijah, many of us have had to give up something after that day, and yes, we wish we could undo what happened but we can't, it would end in catastrophe." Tikki tried to explain.

"Well then, call me a sadist because I don't give a damn." He growled.

He looked at her earrings.

"Why, hello there." Elijah said to them.

Marinette's eyes widened from where she floated in the Miraculous.

"Do not speak to her." Tikki said.

Elijah narrowed his eyes at her and then at Fu.

"You know, I bet Tikki's knowledge is pretty invaluable, she's one of the first Kwami's, is she not? What would happen if her life force disappears faster than Plagg can replenish his own to share with her? "

Fu's nostrils flared.

"I can only imagine how distraught Plagg would become knowing that his true love doesn't remember him, and Duusu would probably die, the world would be thrown into chaos." Elijah continued.

Tikki pursed her lips.

"Do your worst, go on. Just know that if Duusu dies then so do your dreams of changing the past."

Elijah stared at her for a minute before snapping his book closed and leaving the study.

 **Back at Nino's home.**

Adrien and Nino continued to stare at Plagg who was becoming increasingly aware that he would have to start talking very soon.

He looked down at Adrien, unsure about how Adrien would react to the information that he should have told him earlier.

He hesitantly handed Adrien to Nino and began to wring his hands.

Adrien tilted his head at the action while Plagg took several shaky breaths.

Just how bad was the information that Plagg was withholding from him?

Plagg eventually met Adrien's big green eyes.

"Okay Adrien, please bear in mind that by the time I got to you Chloe was already threatening to tell everyone that _you_ raped _her."_

Adrien blinked in confusion.

' _What does that have to do with anything?_ ' He wondered.

Plagg took a deep breath.

"Re-remember the b-broach that you broke and told Chloe about?"

Adrien stared at him to continue.

' _Yeah?'_

Plagg gulped.

"That wasn't actually your mother's brooch… it was just a replica that the Guardian returned to your father."

It was as if he heard glass shatter in his mind.

Adrien stared at Plagg with wide green eyes. Plagg bit his lip.

' _You mean to say… that I went through all of that with that Thing…over a brooch that wasn't my mother's brooch in the first place? That the brooch I broke was just a fake and if the guardian just gave back the real one before I got blackmailed none of that abuse would have happened?"_

Plagg looked down.

"Yes." Plagg said softly.

He looked up at the kitten's blank expression.

Adrien just stared at him, and it was suffocating.

" _I wouldn't have been molested… I would be… normal… And I wouldn't hate myself as much as I do now, everything would have never happened, I wouldn't have impregnated anyone and I wouldn't be demented and sick and disgusting-_ "

Plagg sighed. "But you never would have met Marinette."

Adrien's glossy eyes froze.

Not meeting Marinette… Wasn't an idea he could handle.

Plagg cautiously reached over and tugged Adrien towards himself with a sigh.

"If it never happened, you wouldn't have been home-schooled. You were home-schooled because you were scared of other kids, remember? You would have gone to a private school, or a boarding school, and you could have gone your entire life without ever meeting Marinette… But destiny decided your fates long before you were born." Plagg spoke as he leaned his cheek against his fist and used his other hand to gently stroke Adrien's fur in calming ministrations.

"It shouldn't have happened, and it was sick and wrong and cruel… Destiny is one moody witch, let me tell you that, but everything that has happened to you has led you to where you are now, and yes, it may not be perfect but we're still getting you to where you need to go, someday you'll be thankful that your life didn't head in another direction. You think you're twisted and cruel, but look at yourself."

Plagg picked him up.

"This is an accurate representation of your heart. You may think that you're sick and demented, but you have the heart of a child, and I think that that is the purest form of life."

A sob sounded in the room and Plagg and Adrien turned to Nino who was crying.

"S-so po-etic." He whimpered.

Plagg huffed and rolled his eyes.

Plagg placed Adrien down in front of him.

"There's also something else that you need to know." Plagg said.

Nino sniffed. "I'm so confused but keep going." He said, wiping his nose.

Plagg eyed him for a second.

"Fu and Tikki don't know that I know, but… I think Duusu isn't really being kept aside by Fu, I think she's trapped inside the real peacock brooch. Around the time that the replica was placed in your house, Tikki told me that she needed to share her energy with Duusu, but that's all she said. We never spoke about it since but I know that she hasn't stopped drawing energy from me. It doesn't take a Kwami that long to replenish their powers so I figured something must have gone wrong with Duusu and her chosen. Duusu never really came back to the Miraculous box and Tikki and Fu were always speaking quietly, from the rumours of the other Kwami I figured that Duusu had attempted reversal. That couldn't have worked out for her," He said with an eye-roll.

"Since Tikki and I are the only ones who can do it correctly. Master Fu doesn't have the real peacock brooch.

"But then wouldn't that just mean that the Miraculous wielder will have it?" Nino asked.

"Yeah… but that's where thing's get complicated." Plagg inhaled deeply.

"I need some cream for this." He muttered.

Nino wordlessly retrieved the double cream from the fridge and got the shot-glasses out.

He placed one in front of Adrien and filled it.

Plagg snatched it away.

"Are you _trying_ to kill him?" Plagg snarled.

"What? He's a cat too." Nino sassed back.

Plagg rolled his eyes.

"He's a kitten. The good stuff is bad for his digestive system douchebag." He glared.

Nino raised his hands.

"Well excuse me Mr Dietician." He said, sitting down with a huff and pouring more shots of cream.

Plagg gulped them down and looked at Adrien.

"Okay Kid, bear in mind that Fu and Tikki haven't given me any hint as to the right direction so this is just hypothetical, but when Duusu did the reversal she was supposed to come out of the brooch and put her chosen one in it with a seal of immortality. Instead, she trapped herself in it, and somehow transformed her chosen into an immortal waiting form. What you are right now is a waiting form. It's basically what happens when Tikki or I decide that the chosen doesn't have to stay in the ring when we're doing reversal because it's safe enough. You won't necessarily always change into the creature your Miraculous is for, like once Tikki's chosen had the waiting form of a stallion, the weirdest thing though is that her chosen was a female…She was straight too."

Nino raised a brow and flipped Adrien onto his back.

"What are you doing?" Plagg hissed in horror when Adrien yelped.

"I'm checking. What if he's a girl?"

"Stop it, that's for him to figure out." Plagg snarled and flipped the kitten over.

"Yeah but wouldn't it help you figure out if the waiting form of a chosen is the opposite of their gender?" Nino asked and Plagg frowned.

"…I am curious." Plagg muttered and lifted Adrien's tail into the air to check.

" _Stop that!"_ Adrien hissed in his head.

Plagg's eyes widened.

"Oh my…"Nino snickered.

" _What? What is it?"_ Adrien asked, genuinely concerned and he craned his head to look at Plagg.

Plagg slowly put his tail down and blinked rapidly and stupefied at Adrien who stood and trotted towards Plagg, demanding answers.

Nino burst into laughter.

"He's a woman."

Adrien looked at Plagg who still seemed stunned. "It was just an idea…I didn't think…it would actually…be…"

Adrien glared at the two men.

" _This isn't funny_." He hissed.

Plagg regained his composure and smacked Nino upside the head which sobered him up quickly.

Nino coughed. "Sorry, continue."

Plagg took a breath and coaxed Adrien into sitting.

"The problem is that Duusu's chosen could have taken on any form, and though I have a hunch that they're here in Paris, I have no idea what they could be, I mean they could be a bird, or an insect, I just don't know…All of this is just my hypothesis, Tikki and Fu have been hiding it from me because they feel bad that Tikki needs to borrow energy from me."

" _Why does she feel so bad? I mean I'm not sure if I heard correctly, but I think she said you guys are married, right_?"

Plagg scratched his head.

"Well yeah, but Tikki is one of those women who feel bad for dropping crumbs on the floor, and when she started borrowing energy from me I wasn't able to use some of my powers anymore. I didn't tell her that but I think she figured it out because she tried to get Fu to feed her the magic stone things instead, but they used to make her really moody and emotional so I told her that I wanted her to borrow my energy. She knows I've become weaker because of it… so it hurts her, which is why I don't ever fight her when she tells me to do something, she feels better knowing that I've escaped unharmed."

Nino tapped his chin.

"I don't get why you were so scared to tell Adrien about Duusu being trapped in the ring."

Plagg laughed nervously.

"Ha ha, funny story, urm, yeah, so, uh, your mum, Adrien, ha ha, isn't actually dead, ha, and she didn't leave you, urm, she's actually the peacock miraculous wielder, urm, yeah, but like-"

Adrien was looking at him with the widest eyes possible.

"We have no idea where she is, erm, and she can't change back into a human unless we have the brooch," Plagg gulped.

"Which is also missing,errrm, we have a slight idea about its location, but urm, we know she's alive because if she was dead Duusu would have zapped out of the ring and back into the miraculous box and regained her, urm, immortality, which she hasn't done since I can still feel Tikki using my energy, ha ha, urm so, yeah."

Nino and Adrien looked at him with eyes the size of saucers.

" _So mum…is some sort of creature….in Paris? She didn't leave… She's alive?"_ Adrien's eyes seemed desperate.

Plagg nodded.

"We just don't know what she is, since she isn't a Kwami we really can't sense magic from her. She's definitely alive though, I mean, she may have been reborn as the same creature multiple times already, but the human mind doesn't work like a Kwami's mind does so she probably remembers everything."

Adrien blinked up at Plagg.

"But how will she be found if we have no idea what she is?"

Plagg grinned.

"Well, if we find the peacock brooch, we can help undo Duusu's failed reversal. I have a hunch…that Elijah may have it already. I could feel Duusu's presence. It was small, but it seems he keeps the brooch on him. Probably in a box or in his pocket… And if I can sense Duusu, I'm certain that Tikki can… which means while she's with Elijah, she can get the brooch back."

Nino throws his hands up.

"Okay, I'm confused and sleepy and I can only hear bits of your conversation with Adrien since I don't have that telepathic thing that you have, so can someone please tell me what's going on?"

Plagg rolled his eyes.

"Basically his mother is alive. A bad guy has her kwami trapped so she's stuck as an unknown animal in Paris. The bad guy has Tikki and Marinette and so they need to retrieve the brooch and escape, but we can't let them do that alone so we'll need to track them down and help which may not be the best plan since I can only use the power of cataclysm and I need to stay energised so that Duusu and Tikki have enough energy, but, we will get Loverboy's pigtailed princess back."

Nino rubs his jaw.

"Uh huh… So… you say that the chosen's waiting form is of the opposite gender of the chosen, right?"

Plagg nods.

Adrien stays still, absorbing everything he's learned.

" _Mum is alive_. _Marinette and Tikki are going to escape._ "

Meanwhile, not too far away, a small bird with a dark ring around its neck and a raspberry-pink beak flew around, lost. For a moment it perched on a power line, trying to figure out the pathway to Marinette's home, but it's thoughts were jumbled, and all it could think of were the green eyes of the young man who had tried to jump off the bridge, and the fact that Marinette had called him by the name she had given her son eighteen years ago, when she was still human…

 **A/N: AAAND CUE THE "WHAAAAAT?"**

 **Lol, thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter, it kind of scared and demotivated me a bit that I had less than a quarter of the usual responses, but hey, I'm thankful that you guys supported me for the first part of the trilogy, however, and I'm not being bitchy, I think if the readers continue to drop I'll just add a few more chapters and whip up an ending, it would save us all the heartache. Anywho, thank you so much to everyone who has read, followed, faved and reviewed, I can't tell you just how much your responses mean to me, and also to those who actually reach out on Instagram and talk to me! It makes me so happy, oh and not forgetting the artists! I love you all.**

 **Anyway PLEASE REVIEW this chapter, and feel free to message me! I hope you all have a wonderful evening *hugs***

 **XOXO**

 **Ra Ra**


	27. Safe

**A/N: Ra Ra, is exhausted.**

Elijah slid down the wall, head in his hands, his eyes burning behind his sleep deprived lids. It hurt to talk to Tikki as if she was an enemy.

He blinked back the tears and harshly sucked in a shuddering breath, forcing himself to hold it. A shiver of disgust ran down his arms, and he leaned his head back against the wall. It wasn't always this way. They were friends once…

At their last meeting Plagg greeted him so normally…He could feel the nostalgia in his veins. It was a blast to the past, that big smile, that mock-salute. A small smile formed on his face and a traitorous tear rolled down his cheek.

He scrunched his eyes up, pursed his lips and thickly swallowed down the ugly feeling of shame creeping up from below his diaphragm.

A small ringing sound made him fish his phone from his pocket.

The caller ID read _Gabriel Agreste._

Elijah sighed, guilt swirling in his chest as he watched the phone ring many, many times till it eventually stopped. He pocketed it and twisted his lips.

Would this plan actually succeed?

He pulled the brooch out of his pocket and ran a thumb over it.

Perhaps it would.

Perhaps it wouldn't .

…But it was his best shot, and Paris be damned if he didn't try.

 **MLMLML**

Tikki looked at Fu, Fu looked at Tikki.

"How did he get the book?" She asked in shock.

"I have no idea, the last time I saw the book was when I was training with the other guardians as a boy!" He said, exasperated.

Tikki sighed before taking a deep breath and closing her eyes.

"Marinette, I'm going to let you out of the miraculous because Elijah isn't here and we need your help, but I won't let you out if you're uncomfortable being out here while you're mortal…"Tikki said.

Marinette twinkled from within the earrings.

' _Tikki, I'm a mortal on a normal day, it makes no difference to me, as long as we get out of here, stop that guy and get back to Chat…I mean Adrien.'_

Tikki smiled. She liked Marinette a whole lot already.

"Be wary Tikki. The camera's." Fu said before she could do anything. Her blue eyes slid over the corners of the room.

"Just one… I think if we stand in a different angle, we can pop Marinette out without him seeing her."

Fu shifted slightly as to obscure the cameras line on view.

"He's still too trusting…One camera, seriously?" Fu remarked. Tikki nodded in agreement before turning her attention to Marinette.

"Alright, I have no clue what you'll be when you come out, but I'll guide you through the escape, okay?"

' _Gotcha! Wait, what I'll_ ** _be_**

Tikki smiled and closed her eyes.

A small pop sounded and then a tiny thump was heard. Tikki and Fu looked down at the small creature that they crouched to hide.

"Awwww!"Tikki cooed.

' _Hey, why are you guys so tall?'_ Marinette's sparkly eyes looked around.

"Well, you're a pretty small right now." Fu said.

Marinette's nose twitched and she looked up at Fu and Tikki.

"Okay I've got a plan." Fu said suddenly, as if a light bulb had lit up in his head. Tikki looked at Fu, about to speak.

"But for now, everyone needs to get some rest, I know you want us to escape now, Tikki, but truthfully we're all drained." He said albeit sheepishly.

Tikki looked back at Marinette, "It's best if you sleep in the Miraculous." She said to her.

Marinette tilted her head. ' _Okay.'_ Tikki clicked her fingers and Marinette found herself back in the Miraculous.

Fu took a deep breath and settled down on the ground, his aged bones aching. Tikki shot him a concerned look but he only smiled back, reassuring her that he was indeed alright. Tikki slowly lay down on the ground too. Fu's plan had to be really exhausting if he wanted them to rest before actually attempting it.

 **MLMLML**

She opened the door to see a far from immaculate Chloe Bourgeois standing outside.

"Whoa, what happened to you?" Lila snickered leaning against the doorframe, her olive irises swivelled, taking in the woman's dishevelled appearance.

Chloe pushed passed Lila and slipped into the lavish home.

"You do not want to know." Chloe snarled.

Lila smirked. "Your pets are being too hard to handle?" She perched on a leather couch, speaking in a mocking manner. Chloe hissed.

"Just shut up, will you?"

Lila laughed again. "Damn shame, been hearing some odd things about Paris lately." She said coyly, looking at the blonde out of the corner of her eye. Chloe looked at her from the recliner she had unceremoniously thrown herself on.

"I may need your help." Chloe said.

"Killing? Culling? Blackmailing? And what would I get out of it?"

"Investigating, and then…killing, _hopefully,_ if all goes well. If we succeed, I'll ensure a hefty sum of the taxes are deposited into your account." Chloe said.

Lila hummed.

"I _have_ been meaning to visit Paris… Where's your boy-toy? Still missing?"

Chloe rubbed her temple.

"Possibly dead after the stunt I pulled, but I don't think so. Chat Noir would have done one of his damn broadcasts and killed Adrien on live TV if he was going to kill him."

Lila canted her head.

"Oddly calm about Adrien being kidnapped…"She commented, more to herself. Chloe glared at her. "I'll get him back. He won't leave me." Chloe said.

"Won't, or can't?" Lila snickered.

"Just shut up already." Chloe snapped.

"He's mine. He won't leave me." Chloe said out loud, as if convincing herself.

Lila rolled her eyes at Chloe's blind faith.

"Riiiight, soo when he becomes another pronoun other than 'Mine' as you so eloquently put it, can I have a go at him?" Lila asked, a bit eagerly.

Chloe considered her for a moment.

"…When I get him back, I don't see the issue with you having a go at him while he still _belongs_ to me." Chloe said.

Lila chuckled. "Demented and sick as ever I see. Well, if you're fine with it, why not?"

Chloe yawned. Now she would have the help of this whore, and as much as she didn't want to admit it, she needed the help. The spotted freak had appeared out of nowhere. That makeup artist had escaped too and Marinette was gone as well. She had realised with a pang that Marinette would now be overly cautious, it would be hard to kidnap her.

Chat Noir would probably never let her out of his sight again.

She'd seen his reaction. He loved the powder-covered baker. The agony in his eyes, that look of despair. It was delicious, almost as raw as Adrien's emotions…

She had only a few minutes to savour it before that _freakshow_ had ruined EVERYTHING.

Stupid Bimbo, just who did she think she was? Did she even know who she was messing with?

Chloe exhaled. Maybe that woman resided in England.

France most certainly had no protectors like her, Paris was as vulnerable as a lamb. She needed to get back there…If she did though, Chat Noir would find her, and she had a feeling that he wouldn't hesitate to gut her like a fish. Especially after what he had thought he had seen.

Either she stayed here and plotted while Lila went back, or she went with Lila and risked the possibility of being mutilated and murdered. As much as she loved dishing out pain, she wasn't a fan of being on the receiving end of it, so the former choice would probably be the best. Lila would help so long as she was paid.

Chloe needed to pull herself together. She had gotten so sloppy in the last few months.

No more. From now on, she would become Chat Noir's Archenemy. All this time, she'd been an amateur. She knew now what the man was truly capable of, and she would not let history repeat itself. She would destroy him. She would get Adrien back. She would make Marinette suffer the most painful death imaginable.

Oh, she had been to kind to them. It was time for them to really feel her wrath.

 **MLMLML**

Elijah panted heavily. He could do this.

He concentrated hard again. You see, using Wayzz was taking a toll on his body. Wayzz was not like Nooroo.

No. He resisted usage by Elijah, very strongly at that.

Elijah gritted his teeth, forcing away the thought of stopping in light of the sickly, prickly, icy feeling of pins and needles in his head.

He honestly would not have opted to use Fu's kwami… But it was the third strongest Kwami he had.

He crumpled to his knees, breathing heavily.

If he could just make a small opening…

His transformation fell and Wayzz zoomed out. "Did it not occur to you that you can't open the Miraculous World because you aren't the Guardian. Give this up Elijah."Wayzz said with narrowed eyes.

Elijah shakily got to his feet.

"I can. And I will." He ground out and pulled out another strawberry from the bowl on the lab bench.

He placed it on a mini saucer and handed it to Wayzz. "Eat up."

Wayzz crossed his arms. "I'd much rather die." He spat. Elijah rubbed his forehead. Wayzz would eventually cave and eat out of hunger in a few hours, so all he could do now was wait.

Wayzz sighed, he couldn't leave due to the room being enclosed in another room that was gassed with Hydrogen Sulphide.

Now he was no Chemist, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to cross the room without inhaling some of it, and with the size of his form, that would be bad.

Elijah stared for a moment, yes, Wayzz was bound to give in. In the meantime, Elijah needed some rest, so he ambled off to the makeshift Laboratory bedroom that he used in instances like this. With a tired groan, he fell onto the bed and fell asleep.

 **MLMLML**

 **Unknown POV**

The miraculous world is a pretty big place. In fact, it's much like how humans live on Earth. The only difference is that magic is evident in every aspect, the glittering trees, the singing breeze, the smile of peace on everyone's face. It's a beautiful place, a wonderful world. The Kwami are always happy, everyone is one big family. Sometimes there's fighting, sometimes you just want to smack someone with a Giggling Daisy, but most of the time, you're content. Everything is relaxed.

There are different parts of the world though. There are forests. There are valleys, mountain ranges, and meadows. There are desserts, savannahs, there's an oasis here and there.

There are jungles, and dark, dark, thorny places. Caves, underground tunnels and there are beaches too. There are many scary places that you could find yourself in that world.

I would know scary places, I've been trapped in a scary place for a long time. It's thorny around me, and I can't get out... The thorns regenerate around me, and I can't overcome it.

I want to escape.

I want to get out. I cant live like this. This isn't good.

I try to call out… But nobody hears me. My loud cries remain unheard. Maybe they think I'm already dead…

I'm not, but being stuck in here is pretty much as close to dead as I can get.

I'm not trying to escape because of me. It's not for my own benefit…There are people who need me. They need my help.

I have to get out of here…

I just have to.

 **MLMLML**

Fu opened his eyes slowly. It had been three hours since Elijah had left the room. Wearily, he looked around, scanning the room.

He had been noticing a pattern in Elijah's behaviour over the last few days. If Elijah left the room, he wouldn't return for about 6.5 hours. When he did return with food and water, he was exhausted. He would sit at his table, and read his personal notes all day. When he was done, he would leave again.

Fu glanced over at Tikki as she slept on the ground. She looked beyond exhausted, but sharing Plagg's energy certainly helped. He sighed, feeling guilty once again about extorting Plagg's energy.

He reached over and nudged Tikki's shoulder.

She stirred and looked at Fu. "Master Fu? Did you sleep well?"She asked in concern, noticing the unrelenting dark rings around his eyes. He waved away her concern, and smiled.

"Is Marinette awake?" He asked.

Tikki paused for a moment.

' _Hey Marinette, it's time to wake up, sleepyhead.'_

' _Nnnghhh, tomorrow.'_

' _Come on, we have to listen to Fu.'_

She heard Marinette groan before looking at Fu with a nod.

Fu took a breath.

"Many, many years ago, I had the privilege and honour of reading the book in Elijah's position. The information in it is invaluable. With that in mind, I spent a lot of time memorising, and absorbing all the data within it's pages. That is how I knew how to create the healing stones. However, although I've seen it with my own eyes…I've never actually read about _Waiting Forms_ in the book itself."

Tikki blinked.

"Maybe it's because it's not something that's recommended? I mean, our chosen one's can _die_ in that form… Yeah they'll be reborn but we may never know what they're reborn as."She reasoned.

Fu shook his head.

"That was what I thought too, but then I realised the book failed to mention a number of things. It failed to mention where the Kwami would actually go in the event of something like Duusu's failed reversal happening-"

"But that could be because this whole scenario has simply never happened before…"Tikki said.

"Yes, but the book was filled with possible occurrences that never actually took place. Don't you find it strange that it skips over the details of what will happen to the other Kwami's if they ever attempted reversal? Or why Kwami like you and Plagg don't just pick a chosen and carry out your superhero responsibilities while in reversal, leaving your chosen in the miraculous instead of _them_ using you guys to transform. For such a dangerous art, it spoke so little about it…"

"…It is a bit odd."Tikki mused, her neat brows furrowing.

"And what about the deeper explanations of some of the mentioned Kwami powers? If anything, there should have been a chapter for every kind of power, explaining when it would be best to use the power and whatnot. For a book that details everything so intricately, I find it strange that some of the more important facts are just barely touched on the surface."

Tikki frowned.

"…You think parts of the book aren't there."She stated, looking at him.

Fu grinned. "Or perhaps, there's another book altogether. It's been years, and we haven't been able to save Duusu. If such a book does exists… It may be what we need to save our feathered friend."

"So what now?" Tikki asked.

"Now, we find the box, rescue Wayzz, get the brooch too, get out of here, then open up a portal to the Miraculous world." Fu said confidently.

"Which means we need Marinette to disarm the forcefield."Tikki said.

"Precisely. But with the camera…We won't be able to stop him from seeing Marinette running out and then us escaping too. If he does see us escaping, he may take Wayzz and the others and make a run for it."

Tikki paused for a moment before looking back at Fu.

"Unless you..."She started.

"Make contact with Wayzz while I'm not wearing the Miraculous and ask him to drain Elijah…" Fu finished for her.

"Yes… That's taboo though, on two counts, the first being that Kwami's should not inhibit the life force or energy of the chosen unless they're physically hurting someone and secondly, you're forcing your way into his head while you don't have his miraculous on you… The last time you forced yourself into a Kwami's head you aged by twenty years, you're human master, your chi is strong…but not on par with the Kwami." Tikki said.

Fu sighed.

"I agree, on the first I must digress however, it's taboo if the _Guardian_ does not give their consent for the Kwami to influence the wielder, as for the second…yes, it's taboo for a human to force into a Kwami's head without any of the Miraculous treasures on hand… considering I can't use the Ladybug Miraculous from you, for something as simple as asking Wayzz to temporarily knock Eli out… and I agree that I'm not keen on losing another twenty years of my life… and I'm most certainly not keen on answering to the Council, but I'm not keen on letting anyone else die either." He said.

"Master that wasn't your faul-"

"It was Tikki. It was my fault." Fu objected. Tikki's mouth snapped shut.

"What if… I share my life force…"Tikki said slowly.

"You'd be sharing it between yourself, Duusuu and myself Tikki. You'd have to borrow from Plagg, and in such huge proportions, he's bound to realise that something strange is going on…Besides, though Plagg is fast at regeneration…He's just not _that_ fast." Fu replied.

"Have more faith in him. He may figure it out but desperate times call for desperate measures. Remember we haven't dropped the Reversal, he's stronger now." Tikki said but there was pain in her voice.

Fu twisted his lips. "I don't want Plagg to realise what's happening, I don't want to harm any of you."

"Listen master… You don't always have to protect us. Sometimes you need protection too. We're in this as a unit." She said putting a hand on his shoulder.

Fu looked down.

"What happens if you do lose all your energy and Plagg can't share his fast enough? You will lose all your memory…"Fu reasoned.

"I'd rather lose my memory than let anyone else die."

"Plagg won't forgive either of us if you don't remember him."

"Then it's up to you to use the opening as quick as you can. Plagg has our backs."She spoke, convincing herself.

 **MLMLML**

Plagg's fur stood on end and he blinked. They were about to do something entirely reckless and stupid. Brilliant, he had rubbed off on them.

Nino poked him. "Dude you're gone all fuzzy." He said gesturing to Plagg's standing fur. Plagg looked at him slowly.

"You know being a Bachelor boy isn't so bad. Seriously." He said.

Nino raised a brow. "What's wrong with being with a woman if you love her?"

Plagg pouted.

"What's theirs is theirs, and what's yours is also theirs, and their friends and their friend's friends. I mean that in the most physical of sense."

Nino's mouth dropped open.

"Harem?"

Plagg sniffled. " What can a guy do if he's just so powerful and amazing?"

 **MLMLML**

Tikki and Fu were sitting side by side against the wall.

"Just stay as still a possible so that he doesn't get suspicious." Fu said.

"Ready when you are, Master."

Fu smiled back at her before closing his eyes.

Marinette listened quietly to everything, choosing not to comment on something that she had next to no knowledge of.

The question of why the Kwami's didn't just stay in reversal nagged at her though… If they were so powerful when they were in reversal, and not to mention immortal, then why?

It made no sense. They could live their lives, save people and be indestructible superheroes. So why? Was it solely because they didn't want to ever lose their precious memories if they died temporarily in reversal?

It was vastly confusing and Marinette found herself frowning more and more at the question.

Why?

They were powerful. Just why?

Morals?

She couldn't comprehend any of it.

And why couldn't Tikki temporarily detransform so that Fu could use the miraculous? Marinette could just hide her face… Was it just because it was too risky?

Why couldn't Tikki just drop her reversal so that Elijah saw her change, and when he came running, they could just transform again and beat him, or even just escape as he made his way towards the study? Although the latter was a bit of a shot in the dark, Elijah could have been in the next room for all she knew… This was just too confusing for her.

From where Elijah lay quietly in the lab, he tilted his head towards the monitor. Fu and Tikki looked to be whispering quietly as they sat against the wall… He'd go back soon, but he had to try opening the Gate to the Miraculous World just one more time…

Wayzz eyed the strawberry. He was famished beyond anything he had ever experienced, but he knew as soon as he sated his hunger with that scarlet saccharine fruit, Elijah would once again forcefully try to open a portal with him.

Elijah didn't understand that only _Guardians_ who wielded a Miraculous jewel could open a portal to the Miraculous world, and not even particularly long at that.

 _Must resist must resist must resist don't give in must resist!_

He repeatedly chanted that Mantra in his head.

Fu, from where he sat beside Tikki, closed his eyes.

"Three…two….one…"

 **MLMLML**

Nino had retired, and that left a half asleep kitten and Plagg alone.

' _Why didn't you ever tell me?'_

"'Cuz, what if I was wrong?" Plagg said with a yawn.

Adrien was about to reply when they both felt a small tremor.

Adrien and Plagg looked at each other.

"Did you feel that?"

' _I felt that inside my_ ** _head_** _for some reason.'_

Plagg blinked. "Yeah…Yeah kid, now that I think about it, me too."

Suddenly a pulse went through the pair, the invisible wave washed over them but targeted Plagg specifically.

Plagg hissed and held his head, breathing erratically.

' _Plagg? Plagg! Plagg why are you turning white?!"_

"Huh?" Plagg looked at his arms which were indeed becoming white.

"UGH! They've GOT to be kidding me!" He snarled before taking off into the kitchen and hurriedly getting the Camembert out of the cooler.

He immediately began to swallow wheel after wheel.

Adrien's ears flattened. What was happening?

 **MLMLML**

Tikki had her hand on Fu's shoulder as she fought to stay conscious. She hated doing this to Plagg.

He was a giving kwami, and they were taking advantage of that. She was being reckless, what if Plagg had no access to food? What if she borrowed all the energy he had left and he wasn't able to replenish it?

No… No she couldn't think like that. He was somewhere safe, she could feel it.

Fu's eyes were clenched as he ripped through the barriers of his mind, creating a direct telepathic pathway to Wayzz. It would have helped so much if the Kwami could telepathically communicate…

Fu made a pained noise causing Tikki to look over at him. A small stream of blood was beginning to stem from his nostril.

A cold feeling in her limbs and a jerk in her chest brought her attention back to Plagg.

The fact that she was still conscious meant that Plagg was really working as fast as he could. Absently she smiled, he always had her back, even when she didn't have his.

A prickling sensation behind her eyes caused her to grit her teeth. Fu's breathing was now erratic… and it was getting harder to stay awake.

 **MLMLML**

Plagg took deep breaths. What the hell were they doing? Tikki had never ever before needed this much energy.

Maybe he was wrong, maybe he shouldn't have let them go. What if she was being tortured? That would most certainly explain this rapid draining.

Nino who had gotten up in the commotion was handing Plagg camembert as the feline practically inhaled it. He wasn't even questioning Plagg, because Nino quickly caught on that Black cats of destruction were never meant to be white. Adrien didn't understand what was happening, but even he realised that he needed to be quiet. He had been feeling weird vibrations in his head. There were buzzing noises.

As Plagg ate, his fur became black, but then as quickly as it changed, it reverted back to white.

 **MLMLML**

Marinette suppressed a groan as the vibrations and buzzing sounds pounded her dizzy head. Being in the Miraculous helped, but Tikki was beginning to look worse for the wear.

Fu pushed as hard as he could through the barriers of his mind, and it hurt, as if someone was slowly carving his brain, poking needles in here and there.

Wayzz didn't realise what was going, but suddenly, it felt like his ear drums were bursting as Fu entered his mind.

' **Wayzz, we need you to drain Elijah of energy.'**

' **Master?Wha-…H-how are you doing this?'**

' **No time to explain, listen to me, you need to knock Elijah out, then we'll escape, and find the others.'**

' **How will I alert you when I've knocked him out?'**

' **I'll keep the connection till you do, so please hurry!'**

' **R-right,as long as I've been granted your permission.'**

Wayzz ignored the tingles in his ears as he suddenly swallowed the strawberry. Elijah turned towards him, surprised, but slowly he grinned thinking that Wayzz had eaten the strawberry just like he knew he would.

He got up from the bed.

"Great, Wayzz, Transform me!"

Wayzz was pulled into the miraculous as Elijah began to transform. He stretched, beginning to place his hands together to try and mediate a way into the miraculous world, but then he felt his body go frighteningly cold.

' _Wayzz what are you doing?'_ He thought frantically as he instantaneously began to physically feel Wayzz sucking out his energy and even oxygen, and he was livid. He hadn't read about this in the book.

' _I'm doing what I was asked.'_

' _What?!'_

Elijah hissed, seeing many black spots in his vision as his breathing became strained.

Veins began to show through his skin and his eyes became increasingly bloodshot and watery. His throat began to constrict as he gasped for air that seemed to be eluding him.

Then all at once, he fell to the ground, limp and Wayzz zapped out of the Miraculous.

' _It's done master. I took the maximum amount of oxygen and energy that I possibly could without endangering his life.'_

' _Yes! Well done, Wayzz, do you know where you are? Do you remember any characteristics or memorable fixtures, anything?'_

' _He walked down a stairs, we're in a room that's within a room gassed with sulphate so I can't escape. Master he has the peacock broach, I'll retrieve it.'_

' _Good going Wayzz! We're coming. Don't leave.'_

' _Understood. Master remember, the outer room is gassed with Hydrogen sulphur.'_

' _Got it.'_

Fu let the opening between their minds close and Tikki let out a harsh pained breath before rapidly sucking in mouthfuls of air.

Fu did the same.

He was going to be in so much of trouble.

Tikki began to cry as they both rapidly regained their energy through Plagg's sharing. Fu looked over at her in concern.

"He'll be okay…"He said.

"What if we drained too much? I didn't even lend any of my energy, it was all him, he had to share it between you, Duusu and I." She sniffed. "What if he couldn't make enough for himself."

"Hey don't think like that! You told me yourself, Plagg is strong. He will be okay, I just know it."

 **MLMLML**

Plagg was now sitting limply in a chair gritting his teeth and clutching his chest. It was so hard to breath, the air was too solid, he just couldn't take it in without a pang. He was lightheaded as he dizzily and dutifully shoved more cheese into his mouth.

Nino turned up the airconditioning and then ran to get more cheese.

Plagg had turned fully white,except for his no longer looked like Plagg, save for his face and body structure.

Her brought his legs up onto the chair and began to pull at his hair.

Nino was quick to stop him, instead shoving a pillow into his hands. For the first time, Nino was genuinely concerned as he watched the feline man who refused to scream.

He crouched. "Plagg, talk to us, what's wrong?"

Adrien felt to utterly helpless as he looked up at Plagg who just gritted his teeth and clenched his eyes. He shook his head, in too much of pain to talk.

Suddenly all his fur began to stand on end as his eyes flew open. His pupils had dilated and had covered his entire eye, making him look possessed, he was now dead still, staring blankly at nothing. It was almost as if he wasn't breathing.

" _Plagg!"_ Adrien suddenly said, reaching out to Plagg's thoughts. He had been silent the entire time but something was drastically wrong.

In a space of a few minutes, Plagg looked just about ready to die.

Plagg didn't respond but Nino and Adrien noticed his body become even more taught as his claws stabbed holes into the leather armrests of the chair. The pillow was forgotten, and it was almost as if he was gripping on to the armrests to remind himself to stay grounded.

He blinked slowly and unseeingly reached out in the opposite direction of the cheese.

Adrien stared at Plagg's eyes before his own widened, bells of revelation going off in his head. He looked at Nino.

How the hell would he get his point across to Nino?He looked back at Plagg, could he still speak? If he had a hoarse voice it would make his hypothesis much more conclusive.

Adrien turned to Nino again. He had to do something, especially with the knowledge of what was happening physically to Plagg. So he snarled loudly and threateningly at Nino who turned to him in shock.

Adrien tried to jump off the chair to indicate that he wanted to be followed, he was aware that he would probably get hurt in the fall considering his kitten limbs.

Plagg's ears flicked around for a few seconds, and the second Adrien tried to jump off, a hand caught him blindly before he hit the ground.

"I'll tell him what you need to." Plagg said in a voice so hoarse that both Nino and Adrien winced.

' _I need to know if you can see.'_

"No, I can't see anything at all, it's all just black."

' _Plagg, do you feel lightheaded?'_

"Dizzy."

Nino looked between the two.

' _You're the size of a human now, your arteries won't be as small as the ones cats have, so my pressure cuff will work on you. Just stay calm. In cats blindness is partial or complete, for now we can't be certain.'_

"I'm calm, Dr Agreste is in the house. Besides, my healing can fix my eyes later." Plagg gritted out, but the comedic flare was not there. Plagg looked just about ready to pass out.

' _Please tell Nino to get the cuff.'_

"Nino, he says he needs the pressure cuff."

"Pr-pressure cuff, got it!" Nino stammered. He too, was frightened.

He scrambled to his feet and practically flew up the stairs to retrieve it.

Plagg closed his blank eyes and let out a low, hoarse noise.

Adrien was still caught in his claws. He wriggled and Plagg placed him on his lap before continuing to sink his claws into the armrest.

Nino scrambled down the stairs with all Adrien's equipment and Adrien looked at Nino who wordlessly began to strap it on. Plagg made a strange mewling sound and felt around the coffee table next to the chair for the cheese.

"190mm."Nino said.

Adrien shifted through his mental notes. He was no veterinarian, but he did know a lot about cats, and a lot about humans, and for a cat anything above 150 mm was much too high.

' _I can't diagnose you with renal or thyroid complications as yet, for now we can deduce that the blood vessels in your eye bursting caused the detatchment of your retina. We need to lower your blood pressure. I don't think being in reversal is doing anything for your healing at the moment.'_

"Okay…"Plagg murmured.

' _Tell Nino to bring all my medication.'_

"Nino, he wants all his medication."

Nino again took off running.

' _I'm pretty sure Nino bought the wrong medication once, he bought Hypertension tablets instead of Hypotension tablets. It's okay though, there aren't actually any veterinary medications for Hypertension in felines but some prescribe human medication, not recommended but its-'_

'…Convenient.'

' _At least it's going to good use… Plagg, normally Hypotension in cats is caused by underlying factors, but I really don't think you have renal failure or hypothyroidism or diabetes. Which leads me to believe that this could be brought on by stress and strain on you. It doesn't occur often but it's the only explanation as you have no other disorders or deficiencies.'_

Plagg made a non-committal sound.

"Clever kid." He said.

Nino skidded towards them.

"Hypertension." Plagg said and Nino immediately looked through the little containers.

' _Hydrochlorothiazide 15mg and Captopril 25mg_.' Adrien said to Plagg who repeated his words to Nino.

Nino handed a now lowly whining Plagg a Captopril.

"I can't find the Hydro…Chlora…Uh…"Nino started looking stressed.

' _HCTZ… Check for that. Though it should say the full name…'_

"Check for HCTZ."Plagg ground out.

"Yes!It's a water pill?"

Adrien nodded his head as vigorously as he could and Nino handed Plagg the pill.

Plagg leaned his head back on the chair and Adrien and Nino stared at him intently as he made incorrigible pained sounds, becoming more vocal and distressed.

After a few minutes, his pressure began to drop.

Suddenly he let out a relieved breath and his body began to turn obsidian once more.

"Safe." He said to himself, relieved about something that Adrien didn't understand. A harrowing silence followed.

Nino pursed his lips.

"You said Tikki borrows your energy sometimes. Is that what happened?" He suddenly asked.

Plagg didn't reply.

 **MLMLMLML**

Tikki snapped her fingers. A small pop sounded.

Marinette looked up. She had no idea why she was so small.

"If you're curious, you're currently a Mini-lop rabbit. You're black and white, the white is on all four paws, on a strip from below your nose to the back of your head, and also under your neck. You have strikingly blue eyes." Tikki said.

Fu stared at Marinette oddly. Tikki looked at Fu. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"…Nothing, I just thought she looked like a…like a ma-...nevermind."

Tikki looked back at Marinette who was staring wide eyed at Fu and her. Marinette used her paws to make wiping motions at her ears before standing and trying to walk in a bipedal manner.

"I'm afraid that won't work out too well for you." Fu said apologetically when she fell forward, her long ears flopping.

Marinette internally huffed. This was a bit humiliating.

"Miss Marinette, we are in dire need of your help. Tikki can't detransform for the sake of your safety and her own, and Plagg's… But in this form, you are small enough to sneak under the electric field."

"You have to get to that button." Tikki said pointing to a button on the wall that Marinette could most certainly get to if she jumped to the top of the low shelf near it.

' _Here goes nothing.'_

She flattened herself to the ground and slowly, calculatingly, eased her way under. Tikki and Fu held their breaths.

Finally Marinette was on the other side unharmed. Immediately, she began to make her way towards the shelf beginning to properly gain her footing as she went.

She pressed herself to the ground, ready to spring. She could do this.

One, two…Three. She sprung into the air, freakishly high and landed on the shelf, it was a bit rickety. Slowly easing herself onto her hind legs, she stood and pawed around, trying to reach the button. It was a bit higher, just a bit.

"Small hop, Marinette." Tikki said.

Marinette was weary of jumping on the shaking shelf, but they were running out of time, so she did as she was told. As she hit the button, the shelf began to tip, but as the field disappeared, Tikki was there, and had caught her in no time.

"Let's go." Tikki said.

"Wait, his Journals."Fu said, running to the study desk and pulling out the three journals in the drawer and rummaging around for anything else he may have missed. "Now we can go."

The room door had been locked. Tikki handed Marinette to Fu who placed her in his breast pocket. Tikki looked behind her as she backed up.

Then she ran full speed at the door, bursting through it.

' _Cool! Why didn't you use your powers though?'_

'My talents lie in creating things. If I had some sort of destruction ability, we would have been out of that field ages ago.' She said sheepishly

Fu looked the left. "There, the stairs is that way." They took off down the dark corridor.

"How are we going to find the other Miraculouses?"Tikki asked as they ran.

"You forget about Wayzz's detection skills."

"Oh yes!" Tikki exclaimed.

They came to a huge room, with a glass window. Impermeable, but clear. They could see another room, made of solid grey brick at the centre of it. It was big, but it looked isolated. The door was a large, silver air-lock door, in fact it was a two door airlock chamber. The crew stepped towards it.

"The room is filled with Hydrogen Sulphur." Fu said.

Tikki nodded. "I'll get Wayzz, the gas is toxic to you guys."

Tikki took a breath. Without hesitation she opened the first air-lock door,closed it and bravely opened the second after a deep breath.

" **Emundabit**."

The rotten egg smell disappeared in a swirl of pink.

Fu opened the doors and made his way forward to stand beside Tikki.

"How do we get into there master?" Tikki asked as they hurried towards the grey-brick room in the centre of the room that was now clean of gas.

"Wayzz opens from the inside. He'll need to open both doors of this airlock chamber. If he just zaps out he can't carry his miraculous-"Fu started as he tapped the side of the fully metal air-lock chamber. The previous one was metal and glass.

"Since Plagg and I are the only ones who can." Tikki finished for him.

Tikki and Fu ran up to the door.

"How do we alert him? I mean if its air tight it should be soundproof too, right?"

Fu and Tikki thought for a minute.

Suddenly Wayzz poked his head through the wall.

"I thought I felt a strong Kwami." He said.

"How did you know you weren't popping your head into a room filled with gas right now?" Tikki asked crossing her arms and raising a brow. Wayzz rolled his eyes. "Would you be standing there if it was? I knew you did something otherwise you wouldn't have gotten in and I wouldn't have felt you there. I'll open the door and we can get my miraculous."

After a minute the door swung open to reveal a fallen Elijah. Fu walked boldly into the room and plucked the bracelet of Elijah.

"I'll be taking that." He said.

"Are you forgetting something?" Wayzz asked, holding up the peacock brooch and the Miraculous book.

Fu turned and his eyes widened, firstly because he had been so careless as to forget about the book, and secondly, the brooch that was missing for more than eight years was now back in his possession. Wayzz, sensing his master's shock, slowly flew over and handed it to Fu who remained quiet.

"We need to leave before he wakes up, I sense the others above ground. High concentration of power."

Tikki who was still staring, gaping at the peacock brooch, snapped her mouth shut.

"He's right." Fu said.

"We should deter his pathway." Tikki said as they all rushed out of the lab and slammed the door to stand collectively in the outer room.

"We can help, right Master?"Wayzz said with a grin.

Fu handed a helpless Marinette over to Tikki. Marinette sighed, she wished she could do something. All she had done was press a big button, any delinquent could have handled that.

"Right, Wayzz, transform me!"

In seconds Fu had become Carapace. The journals and the brooch disappeared as he morphed into the hero.

' _Whoa.'_ Marinette thought and stared with bright eyes.

"Everyone out." Tikki didn't need to be told twice, she knew what was about to happen.

' _What's he doing?'_

Tikki looked at her.

"Gardening…"

Fu swiped his hand across the air in front of him.

" ** _Anacharis._** He then ran to the door of the air lock and closed it behind him. He repeated the motion and exited the air-lock chamber, closing the door. Then he stood back and waited.

Instantly the floor started pooling with water and it stopped at about 1.6 metres high within the outer room surrounding the small lab enclosed in grey-bricks. The air-lock chamber was alternatively filled completely with water. Marinette tilted her head. Water? How was water going to slow Elijah- Wait, was the water turning _green?_

Her eyes widened as the Brazilian waterweed began to grow under the water, at an alarmingly fast rate. It kept expanding and eventually the entirety of the water in the room was packed tightly with it. It would be extremely difficult to get through that, but that wasn't all, it seemed the growth of the weeds gave rise to algal bloom, and soon Marinette was staring at a huge mass of green, glancing at the air-lock chamber showed her that Fu had done the same thing there. It was now more Anacharis than water.

"Even if he does get to the chamber, when he opens the door, the waterweed and water in there will push him back for a bit when it flows out." Fu said.

"Wayzz, Detransform me."

Marinette closed her eyes as Fu glowed bright green for a few seconds.

"Barely used any energy." Wayzz said as he zapped out, but before anyone could comment, he was already flying down the hallway.

Tikki and Fu broke into a run after him.

' _Wait, Tikki, why is he so good at detection, is that his gift?'_

"Something like that, he's the Kwami for the guardians, so he needs to be able to find people and things easily in order for the Guardian to correctly allocate the Miraculouses. Though he also has many talents such as growing plants and medicinal roots, and healing."

They took a turn. Wayzz stopped and looked left, then right.

"Left, it's left." He said, flying off.

They then climbed another staircase.

Wayzz looked at the path ahead, then the ones on the left and right.

"It's forward, we go forward." They all followed till they came to a vault door.

Wayzz flew in and after a few clicks, the door was opened. Fu reached out and pulled it open further only to see some sort of cold, containment unit, shelves lined some of the walls with boards exhibiting pinned insects, and bottles of formalin.

Lots of pods filled with blue, bubbling fluid. Tikki walked forward.

"Where's the box?"

Wayzz looked around. "I'm getting readings of energy, everywhere…"

"Makes sense." Fu said, as he looked into one of the pods.

"What?" Tikki asked, walking over.

She gasped. "Is…Is that…?"

"An Akumatized Kwami? I believe so…"Fu said looking at Pollen who was buzzing around the bottom of the pod, dull and fierce looking, but still small.

"Look there's more!" Wayzz said, indicating the long line of Pods.

Tikki winced at the pod containing Howl, the wolf Kwami. It was small and somehow Howl was a fully grown Alpha-male, his white fur and blue eyes replaced with black fur and red eyes. He couldn't move.

"If we can just find the box, I can force them to revert." Fu said.

Tikki spun around to face Fu.

"How did they get Akumatized? It's practically impossible for a Kwami to get Akumatized Fu!"

Fu sighed.

"It's impossible if all the Kwami in the designated box set have positive emotions."

"But all of them do!" Tikki exclaimed.

"No…"Wayzz said quietly, a bit uncomfortably.

Tikki stared at him. "What?" The silence that followed was unnerving.

Fu looked at her. "There are two Kwami exhibiting highly negative emotions." He said.

"…Two?" Tikki whispered.

"One is trapped, thinking she's responsible for the death of Elijah's Family and Adrien's mother…And the other, has been feeding her positive energy all this time, inherently living off the smallest amount of energy that she borrows from her partner, and is riddled with guilt." Wayzz said.

Everyone was silent.

"…Me?" Tikki whispered in horror.

Marinette looked up at her.

Fu pursed his lips.

"Then... then why wasn't I Akumatized?" Tikki asked desperately.

"Because you're in love with Plagg, requited love wards off Akuma's. I doubt many of the others have any romantic interests."Wayzz tried to explain.

"We can stop this, we just need to find Nooroo and put him back in the box." Fu said. Tikki looked at him with watery eyes, laced with guilt.

"Hey, enough of that, we're going to fix this. If you're really sorry, then see this through till the end, save them." Fu said adamantly, his eyes firm.

Tikki blinked.

"Y-You're right. I will fix this."

" _We_ will fix this."Wayzz said. "And we can start with finding Nooroo, if we put him back in the box all the akuma's will be purified. The box can't be far, otherwise the Kwami's wouldn't be able to be out of it, and their Miraculouses are in it after all."Fu finished for him.

"Right." Tikki said.

' _I'll help too.'_ Marinette said with resolve, jumping down.

Fu caught on as she hopped.

"He's purple with wings and a swirl on his forehead. He's extremely timid and hides his face a lot." He said. Everyone took off in different directions of the averagely sized room.

Marinette hopped around as the others looked frantically in the tanks.

It would have been much easier if Wayzz could sense Nooroo, but there were just too many Kwami's exhibiting energy in…here.

She squeaked and everyone turned to her.

That was it! They just needed to get the other Kwami's _out_ of the room!

She looked at the Pods, they weren't really connected to anything. It was like an egg on an egg cup.

' _We have to get all the Pods outside.'_

"What, why?"

' _If everyone else is out, Wayzz can trace the Energy of the box and even Nooroo.'_

"Marinette, you're a genius!"

"What did she say?" Wayzz asked.

"She said if we get all the pods outside Wayzz will be able to sense Nooroo and the box without confusion!"

Wayzz gasped. "She's right!"

"Well then we get the pods out. Wayzz, transform me!"

And immediately Fu and Tikki got to work, using their strength to put all the Kwami's out.

 **Meanwhile.**

Elijah groggily opened his eyes. His head was pounding. With a pained groan he sat up and rubbed his eyes.

Just what had transpired?

He glanced around the room, everything seemed pretty normal. His eyes caught sight of the saucer with strawberry residue. For a second it didn't register, but then, like a harsh wave had hit him, he gasped and looked at his wrist.

Gone.

The bracelet was gone. His heart dropped to the base of his diaphragm when he instinctively touched the pocket that normally contained the peacock brooch only to find it had vanished.

He paled. That brooch had been his only source of comfort all these years, it had always brought him some sort of joy whenever he held it…And now…Now they had taken it…Just like they had taken _everything_ else.

When would they stop?

With a snarl he pushed himself up onto his shaky legs. With resolve, he hurriedly made his way over to his Hazmat suit, pulling it on as quickly as he could. He opened the first air-lock door, closed it and started on opening the second, but as he did he was pushed back by a wave of water, algae in Anaccharis. He slammed against the first airlock door and had to wait till the water stilled so that he could try to move. It was next to impossible. Elijah let out a rare cuss. There was so much of the plant, his legs were getting tangled with every step.

 **MLMLML**

"I wonder what was the point of putting them in these pods filled with this liquid if they weren't even being connected to a constant supply of it. It's like he's just storing live creatures."

"Maybe it Pacifies them."Fu suggested as they moved the last few out.

Marinette looked around the empty room. It was dimly lit now that the bright pods were out.

Tikki placed the last pod down, one that contained several demonic looking foxes, in fact they reminded Marinette of Vulpix from pokemon, complete with the nine tails, but instead of the angelic golden fur, it was a dark, unkempt, deadly brown, making it look more like a crazed wild animal.

Tikki looked sadly at her friend, knowing that all the creatures were just Trixx.

Fu detransformed.

"Focus."Wayzz said to her as he zoomed back into the room.

Tikki cleared her head and followed.

Wayzz hovered.

Ten seconds.

Fifteen seconds.

Thirty five seconds.

A minute and a half.

Then, ever so slowly, he turned his head towards the large board on the shelf.

The one currently pinning insects down.

The one currently pining down an unconscious weak kwami with splinters of the Miraculous box acting as pins.

He wasn't visible pinned down like that, only his wings showed as he was pinned face forward on the board, looking like any other ordinary, white butterfly.

Wayzz flew over to it immediately, and Fu and Tikki glance at each other, perplexed. It was only when Wayzz started to yank at the splinters on the butterfly did sense slap them harshly in the face.

Collectively they gasped and ran over to the board, Tikki jumped up and pulled the board down. The splinters pinning the kwami down ,however, were too small for them to grab and pull out. It was as if Elijah had nailed him down.

Marinette looked over at them as they fumbled at the splinters.

Wayzz was trying his best but his flipper-like arms didn't help much.

She paused. She was a rabbit, wasn't she? She flicked out her tongue to feel her front teeth. Feeling around, she was shocked to find that she,as a rabbit did not have two teeth. She had two lower incissors and behind her two upper front ones were two smaller ones,and she had more teeth around her mouth.

She looked up at Tikki and Fu. She could get the splinters out.

' _Please let me try, I can use my teeth.'_ She said to Tikki who stilled her ministrations and regarded her. After a moment, she picked her up and placed her on the table.

Marinette tottered over to the butterfly wings and noticed the small purple limbs with small wood pieces pinning them down. It was gruesome, she thought with a horrified look.

She slowly began to pull out the splinters, grabbing them in her teeth and leaning her head back, and after four, one limb was collected the splinters. "We must reattach these to the box, else the box will never create a portal." Fu said.

"Really? How do you know they're from the box?"Tikki asked with an odd look on her face. "

"Yes, as young guardians, we were all taught that keeping the box In good condition was mandatory. And I know because this is Dwarf ebony wood. Only available at St Helena,in the South Atlantic Ocean. It's rare, highly protected and of the highest quality, more than 300 years old. It's not possible for Elijah to get this type of nearly extinct wood from anywhere but a miraculous box."

Wayzz flew backward. While they were busy, he needed to try locating the box.

Marinette had freed Nooroo's other arm.

"But… If he used splinters from the box…Wouldn't that mean the box has been broken?"

A weak voice answered.

"No, it's not broken, just chipped here and there, but fixable. He just took a few pieces." Fu and Tikki looked down at Nooroo who laid limply as Marinette worked.

"Nooroo!" Tikki exclaimed.

"Tikki, you're so big." He said.

"Long story."

"…Can imagine…Plagg?"He asked timidly.

"Safe." Tikki said.

"Good." Nooroo said in relief.

Marinette pulled out the last of the splinters. Fu gently picked the Kwami up.

"Why did he use the splinters to pin me down?"

Fu bit his lip.

"Have any of you ever been distressed in the box?"

Tikki, Nooroo and Wayzz from where he hovered looked at Fu.

Tikki frowned.

"Never actually."She admitted.

"There's a reason."

Nooroo blinked. "Which is?"

"The box is charmed, it acts as both a pathway to the miraculous world, and also a relaxant."

Wayzz blinked. "Why do we need relaxants?"

"Because the council believes that sticking you in a place for hundreds of years can't be good for your mental health."Fu said.

"We've been drugged?"Nooroo gasped before fainting.

Tikki and Wayzz groaned at the timid, but dramatic Kwami. "The more I learn the dumber I feel." Tikki exclaimed before sighing. "Let's find the box."

"We're discussing this later."Wayzz said to Fu who sighed dejectedly. He was a guardian, he didn't make the rules. And he certainly didn't ask Elijah to do something as cynical as pin a Kwami with charmed wood to an insect display.

Wayzz pointed at the wall.

"That's the only place in this room that I can sense energy."

Nooroo opened his eyes.

"The wall?"He asked. Marinette stared at the Kwami who she had though fainted.

Tikki walked up to the wall and tapped her hand against it.

The wall made a hollow noise.

"Secret button to open wall?"Nooroo shrugged.

"No time."Tikki said before bringing her fist back and punching the wall as hard as she could.

 **MLMLML**

Elijah was almost at the 1st door of the air-lock when he heard the thump. He looked up and his eyes widened.

"Shit shit shit shit!"He cussed and struggled even harder towards the door. After a minute, he made it…but as he opened it an onslaught of weeds, algae and water pushed him back several metres.

He let out a growl.

Those evil savages.

 **MLMLML**

"Ow ow oww owww!"She exclaimed, forgetting that she felt pain vividly in this form.

"Ooooh that's got to hurt."Nooroo said.

"Why can't one of us zap into the wall?" Wayzz asked.

"Because even though we can go through the wall, the box is still a solid object, and therefore it can't come out with us." Tikki said with a huff, clutching at her hand.

They all looked at the big crack in the wall that Tikki made.

"Well, I still have my other hand." She said and drew her fist back again. Upon contact with the wall her wrist made a noise.

Everyone winced. Wayzz needed the last of his energy so that Fu could use him to open the gateway…

Nooroo looked at the pods outside.

"They're still there…How long was I asleep?" He asked.

"A while." Said Wayzz. Nooroo looked timidly at the pods.

"I could… Uh… I mean, I never gave them instructions other than stay in the pod, so…urm…"Tikki groaned as her recently pulverised carpals snapped back into their normal positions.

"With your permission…I could…Urm…" Nooroo poked the tips of his flipper-like arms together, glancing at Fu then looking down and repeating the motions.

"Spit it out already." Wayzz said.

"I could control one of them." He said quietly.

Tikki's eyes widened.

"You can do what?!"She gasped, dumbfounded before spinning to face Fu.

"Just how much do you know that we don't?" She demanded.

"That's only for the Guardian to know I'm afraid, with all due respect, it should remain between Nooroo and I." Tikki huffed.

Fu looked back at Nooroo… To hell with it, he had broken enough rules already, and he was already in a lot of trouble, he couldn't possibly make it any more worse.

"Do it." He said.

Wayzz looked worriedly at the pods while Nooroo zoned in on Draco, the dragon Kwami who was now a small dragon stuck in the pod.

"O-okay." He closed his eyes.

"Hello **Samael.** This is Nooroo, I'm granting you the power to destroy, only on my mark."

Samael looked up.

' _What will I get in return?'_

"Freedom from the confines of that indestructible pod."

Wayzz hovered near Tikki. "So they've been Akumatized…But not allocated abilities?"He asked. Tikki shrugged.

' _Yes Nooroo.'_

"Excellent, now break free."Nooroo said silkly and Tikki and Wayzz stared at each other in shock. This was _Nooroo._ Speaking… _Confidently._

The silver and blue dragon opened it's mouth and blasted the glass. At first it looked like nothing was happening, but then a crack appeared and the impermeable glass was now powdery flecks in the air.

"Now break this wall."Nooroo said.

Samael purred before opening his mouth. A ball of fire erupted from his throat and was shot at the wall which fell apart.

A static sound was heard and everyone turned to see a livid waterweed covered Elijah in the doorway.

"E-Excellent n-now protect us from tha-that guy!" Nooroo practically screeched as Elijah reached for his large Electric gun.

Samael made a sound before lunging forward as Elijah raised his gun.

Fu grabbed the box from the hole, pushing aside the mechanism inside the wall meant to open the wall upon pressing the button that none of them could locate. The intricate red design on the box had turned black.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh,he's going to kill us. We're dead, he's going to skewer us all!"Nooroo screamed. Wayzz snarled.

"Shuttup! We have to fix the box!"

"Leave it to me!Where are the splinters?!"Tikki asked frantically. Fu hurriedly dropped the splinters into her hand.

"OHHH MY GOOOOOODD!" Nooroo screamed as a huge black blob hit the wall next to his head and caused the wall to melt into a puddle of sludge.

"We're going to die, we're going to DIE!"Nooroo wailed before Wayzz slapped him.

"Get a hold of yourself!You're immortal you fool!"

" **Integro**!"

The splinters of wood that had been in Tikki's hand flew back to the box, but only three-quarters of the design on the lid had turned red.

"Something's still missing!" Fu exclaimed.

"It's in this imbeciles leg!"Wayzz pointed.

Marinette who had been frantically running around the floor stilled.

' _Toss him here!'_ She thought manically. Tikki grabbed Nooroo and unceremoniously threw him to the ground. "Waaaa!"Nooroo squeaked as he dropped, squeaking louder when Marinette practically pounced on him.

A loud explosion sounded behind them and they all looked at Elijah who was fiercely fighting the dragon who was expertly preventing him from even getting within five meters of them.

"Reptiles!We need more reptiles!"Wayzz exclaimed pointing towards the Akumatised snake Kwami; Hiss.

"Why don't _you_ go fight him then?!" Nooroo yelled, uncharacteristically aggressive as Marinette bit at his leg trying to get the splinter.

Marinette got it out and Tikki grasped it.

" **Integro**!" She said again and the splinter flew into position causing the whole box to glow.

Tikki clapped her hands and Marinette squeaked as she was transported back into the miraculous.

Nooroo flew upward.

"How do we escape, how do we escape?!"He became hysterical, flying around.

Fu placed the box on the ground. "Tikki, fight Elijah,Nooroo,revert!"

Nooroo was pulled into the Miraculous box and Tikki jumped in front of Elijah as Samael turned into a disorientated Draco.

"You guys are REALLY starting to piss me off!" He bellowed. Tikki shielded his attack and deflected the wave of electricity that he shot at her.

"Fu, hurry!"

Elijah tried to look at Fu but Tikki jumped in front of him.

She placed her hands in front of her chest and a pink and red ball of cackling electricity formed.

" **Eruptus**!" The ball changed into a full red ball,and she suddenly threw it him. Elijah was shocked and tried to deflect it but it was too late, and he found his body convulsing with the strength of the electricity she had just shot.

All the Kwami's had changed back into their normal forms and zapped through the pods, watching on in confusion.

"Kwami's with their Miraculous in the box, Revert!" Fu called. In a flash of various colours they all zapped into the box and Fu opened each compartment to ensure that their miraculous was there.

"Fu! Come on!" Tikki shouted.

Fu grabbed the journals, miraculous book and the brooch, transformed and placed his hands on the box.

" _We, wielders and Kwami's truly dwell permanently neither in this realm or the realm of Magic. We do not wish to obtain dominance, nor are our intentions selfish. We exist to protect existence, we persevere till our heroes are created through us, and within those who lend their power. With the acceptance of being a nomad between two worlds, I open the gateway to the world of the Miraculous."_

Suddenly a large split appeared in mid-air before a huge circle opened ran into it holding the box, and instantly his transformation dropped, causing the hole to start closing. "Tikki!" Wayzz and Fu yelled.

Tikki turned with wide eyes. She shot Elijah with one more bout of power before darting towards the portal. She slipped in and Elijah stared angrily at it, throwing in a dagger as the portal closed.

 **MLMLML**

Everyone lay exhaustedly on the ground. The dagger had not hit anyone but lay a few meters away, serving as a reminder of the danger they had escaped. Tikki was now a Kwami and Marinette was back to herself, panting on the ground.

"That…That was…" Marinette started.

"Scary." Tikki finished for her.

Fu held the box and sat up.

"Where are we?" Marinette asked, rubbing her eyes, when she opened them, she realised that where the portal had opened now stood thirty men dressed in Dynasty Hanfu, looking terribly cross.

"In big trouble." Tikki, Fu and Wayzz all answered.

 **MLMLML**

Plagg suddenly dropped the reversal and turned back into a Kwami. Adrien found himself sitting on the now suffocating Kwami.

"Adrien!" Nino exclaimed.

"Nino!" Adrien said back.

After a collective moment.

"Plagg!" Nino and Adrien chorused.

"Can you see?"

"How do you feel?"

"Are you weak?"

"Nauseous?"

"Why did you change back?"

"Are you okay?"

"Your throat, how's your throat?"

"Flip!The pressure cuff won't fit him, how to we check."

Plagg's sight slowly restores as his retina's reattached themselves and his pupils constricted.

The boys watched with furrowed brows.

It was terrifying seeing Plagg with seemingly fully black eyes.

Plagg's impassive face slowly broke into a cheeky grin. He knew where Tikki was, she wasn't sharing any of his energy, he felt strong, and mischievous and just like himself.

Those know it all's did it, just he knew they would.

"Plagg, speak to us!" Adrien said as he and Nino crouched down to his eye level.

"Yeah, what's wrong?" Nino asked.

Plagg blinked a few times.

"It's terrible. Horrible. Horrendous!" Plagg exclaimed.

Nino pulled at his hair.

"Oh no, not horrendous!" He began to panic.

Adrien felt his own anxiety rising.

"Plagg! Plagg tell me! Speak to me!" He asked in distress.

Plagg threw himself limply onto his side.

"I think…"

He sighed dramatically.

"I think I'm sick of camembert."

All Nino and Adrien could do was stare.

 **MLMLMLML**

 **A/N: Well, my inner nerd finally reared it's head, surprise! Yes, all names created have a deeper meaning and the powers are related to the Kwami's completely, you can google if you don't believe me. Yes, hypertension is a serious issue in cats. Yes, Chloe is still here.**

 **Anyway, I'm so sorry for not updating. I've just been really, really tired, in every sense of the word, and I needed some time just to clear my thoughts.**

 **I hope you guys haven't given up on me, I don't plan on letting this story go.**

 **Thank you so much for your understanding, for the reviews, follows and favourites, and thank you to those who even messaged me on instgram, you reminded me that my writing actually is worth something. So really, this story is for you guys.**

 **Please REVIEW! I've missed you all so so so much! And I love you all!**

 **XOXO**

 **Ra Ra**


	28. Wait

Marinette looked around at the men in the odd attire. They didn't seem happy, no. Not in the slightest. In her dazed and dizzy state, she did notice however that they seemed to be frowning directly at _her._

Internally she scoffed. How rude of them to openly glare at her as if her presence were a nuisance…

Wait.

 _Wait._

She was in the Miraculous world… That meant that it was highly likely that her presence _was_ in fact unwanted.

"Fu! You brought a human girl, here?!"One of them exclaimed.

"I had no choice, it was either bring her here, or let her be caught." Fu explained.

"But this woman is _not_ allowed in this realm! This will disrupt the balance of everything! Every atom affects another! _SHE is made of atoms!_ Pulling her _here_ will have a disruptive effect out _there!"_ Another man yelled.

"I didn't have the luxury or thinking about that. We were attacked by _Elijah_." Fu answered.

"Elijah? Impossible! He should be dead!" One of the men said with wide eyes.

"But he isn't, he's as young as the day he left this place. Tikki tried to explain.

"What do you mean you didn't have the luxury? YOU are the guardian!" A man with a high ponytail exclaimed.

"I know, I know and I'm sorry for doing this, but it wasn't without reason." Fu tried to explain too.

Marinette looked around, she really didn't feel good. In fact, she felt awful, and borderline delirious. Their voices were coming out in muffled puffs and try as she might, she found it impossible to concentrate.

"Marinette?" Tikki was next to her but her voice was severely distorted.

The bluenette sucked in a breath, why was the air so thick? Tikki's eyes widened. "Are you okay?"

Suddenly, she heard a new voice.

"Everyone quiet! Look at her, she needs energy and she needs it fast, humans are not meant to survive in this realm!" It said.

Everything became quiet for a second, but then she was being carried by someone with cerulean hair and devastatingly blue eyes.

That was before the world became black.

* * *

"I don't believe you, not for even a second." Adrien crossed his arms.

Plagg burped.

"Ughh."Nino fanned the air, disgusted at the putrid stench as he desperately scooted away from Plagg and held his nose.

Adrien's face contorted in revulsion, never had he smelled such an awful burp from the Kwami, it was enough to cause the blond to block his nose and hurriedly make his way across the room to dry heave.

Plagg rolled his eyes.

"Honestly, you guys make it like you haven't smelled camembert before, sheesh." He said.

Nino was holding a square cushion and waving it wildly in Plagg's direction, as if hoping to deter the passage of the stench's diffusion, which wasn't scientifically possible, or was it? The Moroccan-French man certainly believed so.

"Camembert smells like daisies compared to this." Adrien said in an unwittingly comical voice and he blocked his nose and dared himself to inch closer towards the Kwami in order to spray the Air freshener that he'd procured a few seconds prior.

Plagg frowned. Was it really that bad? Perhaps the boys were just being dramatic, as usual.

"Smells like frigging _death."_ Nino gasped for air, his nose and mouth below his collar inside his shirt.

He flew upward and floated around on eye level with them.

"Well, in case you're wondering, Marinette, Tikki and Fu all made it into the Miraculous world, safe." He said. Adrien suddenly looked more alert.

"So Marinette is okay? When will she be coming back? You sure she's fine? Did anyone hurt her? How did they escape? How is she?"He asked eagerly. Plagg paused. "Well actually, I had no idea that humans were allowed in the Miraculous world, I mean they have no magic in them so I'm seriously shocked." He admitted. Adrien blinked.

"Wait, is it harmful to be there, or something?" Adrien asked, his blood running cold as he paled.

Plagg thought for a moment. "No idea, it's never been done before, I think." Plagg said.

Plagg looked at Adrien who suddenly had a ghostly look on his face, "But Fu's with them, so everything will work out."

"Fu?" Adrien asked slowly.

"The guy who saved Marinette when she was attacked." Plagg explained.

Adrien paused. "The really tiny guy who made her eat those…stones?"

"The exact same one!" Plagg said.

Adrien rung his hands. "I don't know… I don't like her being so far away… I don't know if she's safe or if she's hurt, or if she's eaten- "He started anxiously. Plagg flew up in front of Adrien.

"Marinette is fine. Trust me, okay? The reason they're in there is to find a way to stop Elijah, and the worst thing we can do it doubt them now." Plagg said.

"But Elijah is out _here_ , right?" Adrien asked.

"Right. So we have to slow him down out here till they get back with a solution. Elijah was somehow able to create those weird concoctions to attack us with, and if they figure out a way to counterattack, we can take him down. For now, we have to gain as much information as possible. I was never there that day the Laboratory burned down, neither was Tikki, so I don't even know the full story, parts of it, but not everything. What I do know is that he's trying to destroy the miraculous." Plagg replied.

"Research? You've come to the right man." Nino said, cricking his neck.

Adrien nodded. "How long do you think they'll be in there?" Adrien asked.

Plagg thought for a moment.

"Well, Fu gets spat out after three days." He said. Adrien's face contorted.

"Spat out?" He asked.

"Yeah. Fu's a guardian. He jumps between the miraculous world and this one, and he's allowed to, provided he has a kwami with him. But he can't stay in there for longer than three days, at the end of the third day, the portal opens up and forcefully spits him out. He can go back right after though if he wishes, but he must surface in this world at the end of the third day." Plagg explained loosely. The model pursed his lips.

"Where does the portal generally open?" Adrien asked.

"Thankfully, it could be anywhere in Paris, and _just_ Paris because Fu has established it with the Rulers of the Miraculous world that this city is his Earthly dwelling, so Elijah is unaware of where they will resurface too, in fact, he has no idea that there's a limit on their time there. Only the guardians, chosens if we let them in on it, and Kwami's know." Plagg said.

"And me." Nino piped.

Plagg sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you? YOU'RE GETTING A MIRACULOUS." Plagg exclaimed. "I'll believe it when I see it." Nino said.

"How are we going to find them then?" Adrien asked.

"We aren't. He and his girlfriend are." Plagg nodded to Nino.

"We are?" Nino looked confused.

"If we go out as Chat Noir, and people realise that we're looking for something, it will lead Elijah to realise it too." Plagg said.

"Yes, but he won't know _what_ we're looking for." Adrien said.

"In broad daylight, he could track us through reports of Chat Noir sightings, and not only attack us, but the girls too. It's safer if we operate at night, and not linger in one place for too long during the night."

"And Chloe's still at large." Adrien said lowly.

"She is." Plagg said in agreement.

"Soooooo, we just do what we said we would. Expose her." Nino said.

"I think I have a plan." Adrien said.

Nino tilted his head. "What?" He asked.

Adrien crossed his arms. "As Chat Noir, I decided to record some of the statements of Marinette's attackers… But I know that many more must have been involved… And I need them to make statements."

"But nobody is going to just admit, that will put them in trouble with the police."

"Yes…But not if the _police_ are involved." Adrien grinned.

"…Why would the police collaborate with you? No offence but you _are_ a psychopath, probably schizophrenic and bipolar, not to mention a total sociopath and the most ruthless Super villain of France." Nino said, ticking his fingers off as he spoke.

Adrien scoffed. "I may be a psychopath, but I'm most certainly not schizophrenic." He waved a hand. Nino's eye twitched.

"Besides…"Adrien started, a devilish grin sneaking onto his elegant features.

"They _will_ if they want _Adrien Agreste_ back." He said.

Nino gaped at him and then glanced toward Plagg.

"Are you hearing this?" He asked the Kwami.

"Well, technically he isn't hurting anyone." Plagg said.

Adrien just grinned.

* * *

 **MLMLMLMLMLMLMLMLMLM**

Nino but his lip as he watched Adrien scribble down his plan and make adjustments.

"So what if Elijah waits at the station to attack you when you come to read the statements?"

"Then he'll wait forever. I'll ask them to confidentially leave the statements at a designated occasion." Adrien replied.

"What if they try to jump you?" Nino asked.

"Oh they won't, trust me."

"But they could." Nino said.

Adrien sighed and looked at his companion. " _They won't._ And if they do, they're endangering _Adrien's life._ They won't risk it. And if they do, I can defend myself."

Nino paced. Adrien had explained the entire plan, but he was afraid of Elijah. He had never had an encounter with the man, but he was admittedly afraid of him, which was insane considering that he was talking to a demented mass and serial attacker and having him _live_ with him.

The blonde eyed his companion. "Why are you pacing?"

"I'm _worried about you,_ you moron!" Nino snapped, and continued to pace.

Adrien's eyes widened and he put his page down.

"Worried?" He asked, dumbfoundedly.

Nino looked at him with an annoyed expression. "Yes, worried. You're going in there, alone. Not to mention your physique has been less than even 50% in the last few days. You just overdosed, like an _idiot just last night…._ Wait a second…YOU TRIED TO KILL YOURSELF YOU BASTARD!"

Adrien sat there, stunned at the outburst.

"I had no reason to live, I thought Marinette was dead." Adrien said with a frown.

Nino's nostrils flared. "So you didn't care that you'd be leaving behind people who cared about you?"

Adrien raised a brow, Niño stared back.

"You insensitive douchebag. You were just going to leave Plagg and I behind?" Nino asked, suddenly enraged.

Adrien rested his chin on the back of his hand.

"Yes." He replied.

"So you didn't give a shit about how we'd feel about you leaving us?" Nino asked, shocked.

"Well, truthfully, both of you felt an obligation to be around me and help. Plagg, because he believes that somehow, there's a hero in me. You, because of Marinette."

Nino was quiet for a moment.

"I didn't stick around because of Marinette, maybe at first, but not anymore. I'm here because you are my _friend._ We are friends, Adrien. If you're facing something, I'll face it with you." He said.

Adrien frowned.

"I don't quite understand… When did we become friends?" Adrien said.

Nino huffed. "What, you thought all the jokes and the secrets and the advice was because I'm scared of you slitting my throat? Dude, we became friends the moment you trusted me enough to laugh at my jokes. Crazy as this may sound to you, Marinette is not the only person in this world who cares about you."

Adrien looked perplexed.

"But I was unaware of this development." He said. Nino sighed.

"Adrien forget that. Just understand that if you died, I would be very sad, because you are important to me. And _that_ is why I'm worried." Nino said.

Adrien was silent… It was the first time they had actually talked about what _kind_ of relationship they had, but if he were to be irrevocably honest with himself, he'd been calling the bespectacled man 'friend' in his head for a while now.

It was strange though, acquiring a friend.

He'd always read about friends, and he'd always had a very warped concept about them. It was completely understandable that he had developed such a prejudiced mindset about them, he had never had a _real_ human one before this year.

In a way, he felt lighter. It was a wonderful thing knowing that at least three people gave a damn about the _real_ you. However, he was wary.

He never wanted to be hurt again, and Marinette and he _still_ needed to discuss what had gone down yesterday, but he never wanted to be betrayed again like the way that he was betrayed by Chloe.

But something about Nino had him stop his running thoughts for a moment. Perhaps it was the earnest tone of the man, or the determined look in his eye, but Adrien found himself not minding that he and Nino were friends.

A deeper part of him was overjoyed, the part that had been longing for affection, and though Marinette had given him enough of it, coupled with the romantic sort of affection, he was glad to have another genuine friend that he could turn to.

A sneeze caught their attention. Both boys turned towards the kwami in question, who dozed lightly in a small kitten-bed that Nino had thought to get.

"… He still hasn't gotten better." Nino said.

Adrien bit his lip and stared at the creature, deep in thought.

"Nino, could you do me a favour?" Adrien asked.

"What kind of favour?" Nino asked.

"I need you to get some laboratory equipment. I'll make a list, and tell you exactly where to go to get it. I may also need to take over your basement… And I need you to take me to that address I gave you the other day and help me ransack the place for anything mystical or mysterious looking." Adrien said.

"What?!" Nino yelped indignantly. "You can't go out! They'll catch us! They'll see us if you're with me! Nobody just walks around with a figure and height like yours dude." Nino said.

"Make me look different." Adrien said and looked over at Plagg.

"Plagg is right… Marinette is probably working as hard as she can to bring Elijah down. I can't just do _nothing_. Last night, when we faced Elijah, when Elijah mentioned that he'd made concoctions to bring Tikki down… But Tikki's response as Plagg ran away with me and her expression led me to believe that whatever he made was something that Fu generally made. She'd said something along the lines of ' Fu would never make those for you.' And he'd said that he made the fancy beans or draining stones himself." Adrien started.

"Okay, so what are you getting at?" Nino asked.

"Don't you get it? Elijah isn't like Fu, he isn't a guardian or whatever, he's just a normal human, but he was able to create those bean looking stones. What if we were able to analyze the composition of those stones? We'd be able to create them too, and when we face Elijah again, we can take him down." Adrien said.

Plagg stayed very quiet as Adrien spoke of Elijah.

"What if we can't find any of those stones to analyze? Actually, what if the stones don't work on humans?" Nino asked.

Adrien grinned.

"I know they do." Adrien said, and Nino looked confused. "When those bastards hurt Marinette, I'd taken her to Fu. He'd given me a whole lot of things to help her feel better, but a few things really stuck out. The first was the glowing green stone, and the second were the black cubes. The cubes were dry, cold and almost powdery; they didn't look as if he'd just made them. So I'm certain that he must have stored them somewhere in his home. Pertaining to the stone, I had to get Marinette to swallow it, and I'm certain it accelerated her healing. That's why I'm certain that they'd work on humans. The last thing he'd given me was these pink biscuits, and they were quite cold too, I can't imagine that he'd been baking them when I sat outside." Adrien said.

"Okay wait, wait, so you think Elijah would have just left all of that behind at Fu's place? According to Plagg, Fu had been escaping with the girls, so Elijah had been keeping him captive, wouldn't that mean that Elijah had most probably been at Fu's place?" Nino asked.

"Possibly…"Adrien thought for a moment.

A loud yawn came from the Kitten-bed and Plagg sleepily rubbed his eyes and joined the conversation.

"That's a great idea kid, and you're right… But we can't get to it." Plagg said.

Adrien frowned. "Why not? Is it hidden somewhere in his house?" He asked.

"The location of the concoctions aren't the problem, every stone and mix lays untouched in there unaffected by time or biological processes, I know _where_ it's been hidden, but it's the _container_ it's in that's the real issue."Plagg sniffled.

Nino and Adrien glanced at each other and back at the kwami.

"Container?" They chorused.

"Well, yeah. The Miraculous box isn't the only Magical contraption in Master Fu's house." Plagg said.

"What's wrong with the container?" Adrien asked after Plagg sneezed.

Plagg rolled over on the soft bed. "The only way you can get in is if you've been chosen to be a Guardian by the guardian before the present one which would make you the present guardian, or you've been chosen to be a guardian the present guardian." Plagg said.

Both boys deflated.

Plagg looked at them. "It was a really good idea though, kid. Really." Plagg said.

Adrien sighed, "I'll just have to come up with something else. I don't suppose you know what goes into those creations or have a recipe book or something, do you?" He asked Plagg who just shook his head.

"We aren't allowed to know what's in it, and there is a book, but kept somewhere in Paris at a location we know nothing about." Plagg said.

"But you're allowed to know where the _creations_ are kept? How does that work?" Nino asked. Plagg shrugged. "Even if a Kwami was kidnapped, and we did tell them were the container was, our kidnapper would never be able to open it. You can't break it open, it has a special seal." Plagg said.

Nino groaned and fell onto the couch.

"I'll figure something out, I've already plotted out Chloe's demise, I'll start on a new plan for Elijah once I finalise it. Not being able to analyse the concoctions isn't a train-smash, hypothetically speaking, it was just an idea anyway that I'd actually be able to decipher the components, I mean I haven't practised in so long, and for all I know there could be some magical dust or something of a similar sort in it which is practically unobtainable lest Plagg's burps suddenly emit magic… I'll figure something out, there's always another way." Adrien said, his voice determined as he turned back to his page to scribble away at his page.

Nino twisted his lips and exhaled through his nose. He really did wish that there was some way to do _something._ Adrien had enough on his plate already, it was much too much a burden for Adrien to carry alone… If he could just-

Something clicked in his head.

"Hey, wait a second, Plagg, what Miraculous does Fu have?" Nino asked.

"Ugh, he has that know-it-all guardian kwami, _Wayzz,_ this yucky alien looking turtle thing who is _sooooo boring and loud-mouthed._ " Plagg said.

Adrien let out an amused chuckle but chose not to comment.

"Who was _supposed_ to get Wayzz next?" Nino asked carefully.

"You, of course, Fu said so himself." Plagg said nonchalantly floating over to Adrien so that the man could scratch behind his ears as he normally did.

For a moment the three were quiescent as Nino narrowed his eyes at the information so carelessly said, and Adrien absently scratched the Kwami, but suddenly the quiet was broken when Adrien's eyes widened in realisation and he abruptly jumped out of his chair and pointed at Nino.

 _"_ _YOU!"_ Adrien abruptly said without explanation.

 _"_ _ME!"_ Nino exclaimed understanding exactly what his friend had meant.

Plagg, who was still feeling dizzy and irritated that Adrien had stop scratching him couldn't follow as quickly as he wanted to, as a result, stared at them curiously.

"The _idiot_? What about him?" Plagg asked, gesturing at Nino with his arm.

"Fu said so _himself_! "Adrien said, his eyes bright.

"Uhhhh…"Plagg looked at the blonde dumbly.

"It means that _Fu chose Nino_!" Adrien said.

"And you said only guardians can open the box, if they're chosen to be a guardian already and already are one, or if the person is going to be a guardian and has been chosen by the present guardian!" Nino exclaimed.

" _So technically, Nino is a guardian!"_ Adrien exclaimed.

"So I can open the container!" Nino continued.

"Because Fu, the current guardian has chosen to give _you_ Wayzz! Who is the kwami of the guardian!" Adrien said, grinning widely at Nino.

"And then you just have to do your DNA profiling thingy or lab chemistry voodoo nonsense and figure out what's in there!" Nino replied.

"Then we create it and when we fight Elijah we can counter all his attacks!" Adrien said.

"Bro!" Nino exclaimed.

"Dude!" Adrien said back.

Plagg stared sleepily at the two… He was still lost. Adrien looked at him.

"You get it,right?" Adrien asked when he noted the far-off look on Plagg's small face.

Plagg blinked. After a moment, his hazy thoughts rearranged themselves and he understood, he gasped.

"It's YOU!I get it now!" He shouted in realisation.

Nino scratched the back of his head.

"And he calls _you_ blonde." Nino muttered to Adrien.

Adrien rolled his eyes. "He's sick." He said to Nino. "It's part of the reason I want to get some of those stones. He's been sick for quite a while now, and it doesn't just seem to be Influenza, it must be some sort of Kwami illness." Adrien said.

"Could have just said _flu,_ you know…Like who the hell says _Influenza_ bro?" Nino asked.

Plagg yawned again. Nino continued to rant but Adrien stayed quiet.

"Plagg… Why does Elijah hate the Miraculous?" He asked.

Plagg blinked.

"It's… _complicated._ " Plagg said.

"It's a good thing we're nerds then." Nino said.

"… I need to know why we're fighting against him at least, Plagg." Adrien said.

Plagg stared at him for a long time, before he groaned and then sighed resignedly.

"As I said before… I don't know _all_ that much about it…"He started.

"That's alright, just explain what you're knowledgeable of." Adrien said.

Plagg groaned again.

"Might as well sit down, dorks." Plagg said to them, and they both sat on the floor, looking up at him as he looked down at them from his high kitty bed.

He took a breath, ready to relay the long, tedious story to them.

"A long time ago, Fu was chosen to be the guardian. He was sought out by the rulers of the Miraculous world, and trained. There are seven rulers of the miraculous world, and all seven believed in him. These rulers wrote books, and information, and taught it to Fu, not another soul out of the seven and Fu had set eyes upon the scrolls and books, and Fu became the greatest guardian they'd ever had, although he's a great pain in the ass at times… Anyway, Fu was from Earth, and so to bring him to the Miraculous world to train him, Tikki and I just shared our energy with him. It was pretty easy, back then Duusu was safe, and we didn't have to split our energy that many ways. So Fu trained, and he learned, and then he was sent back to Earth, with the Miraculous box and all the Miraculous. For about forty years or so passed, but before he left there was this runt. Always sticking his nose in everything. In the miraculous world, the leaders aside from the seven rulers are just formed magically, no gestation period or whatever, so when this kid showed up, well, teenager, man-kid, whatever, nobody really cared. I mean, we figured he'd just grow and become a leader. But, he was a bit odd. He didn't see why the leaders held their information so tightly. Fu became a father figure to him I guess, the kid followed him everywhere, so when Fu had to leave him and come to Earth he was devastated. Fu didn't really call on any of us during that time, during those forty years, we hadn't heard from Fu, but the leaders did. From the outside, Fu could choose who he spoke to, but it seemed he'd forgotten the kid who was so attached to him."

Adrien listened intently, where was the story going?

"Then one day, Fu decided to give the Peacock Miraculous to this blonde, green eyed little lady-kid with the worst of tempers… He name was Emilie Delacour… She…Later became Emilie Agreste." Plagg glanced at Adrien.

Adrien sucked in a breath as he looked at Plagg with wide eyes.

"And if you didn't figure it out, the runt was Elijah… Elijah wasn't a bad kid, but he _was_ a jealous one. He'd hear about what the outside world was like from all the Kwami's who had seen the different centuries…And he wanted to go out too… He wanted to see Fu, he wanted a normal life. So, he committed a taboo." Plagg said and exhaled slowly.

"We didn't know at the time that it was possible, but Kwami could be used _within_ the Miraculous world too, so as Tikki and I slept, he'd captured us, made us stay asleep, and he made a wish." Plagg said.

"He used you guys without the Miraculous on?" Adrien asked.

Plagg paused.

"Remember the first time I did the reversal with you, and was able to take off the ring? In this world, the ring acts as a sort of container for a Kwami to inhabit away from the box. If I do a reversal, I'm out of the container, and you're in it. I'm not the one drawing power from you, I'm not drawing power from a container because I become an embodiment of the power, so though you were in the ring, the ring was useless to me. In the miraculous world… The world _itself_ is a container, so in there, miraculous aren't needed. If you are a leader, you are allowed to call upon a transformation."

Plagg sighed.

"So he used us. He made a wish, and he got his wish… He wished to be a human." Nino blinked.

"He's a damn idiot, he could have wished to be a shark or an anime character and he picked a human?"Nino exclaimed.

"You don't get it… Every action has a reaction or counteraction… Elijah wished to be human, he was stripped of all ties with the miraculous world, he became human, he lived as a human, he loved and married a human, he had a kid with that human, and all that time Fu had never ever found him. It was crucial to find him, because when he became human, someone else was stripped of _their_ humanity." Plagg said.

"Stripped of humanity?" Nino breathed.

"Yeah, completely. It's like the law of equivalent exchange, you can't get something if you don't give something."

"So what did the person who lost their humanity get?" Adrien asked wearily.

"Nothing, well, nothing that would have benefitted them actually, because they technically and unknowingly got Elijah out." Plagg said.

Plagg sneezed and looked back at the boys.

"When Elijah popped out, he didn't pop out in Paris, we didn't know where he popped out really, but Fu needed to find him, because if he didn't return Elijah to the Miraculous world, someone would never ever get their humanity back. It didn't matter that we didn't know who lost their humanity, the fact is that someone, somewhere _did._ And that wasn't acceptable. Eventually, Fu figured out where Elijah had gone… He'd gone to this place called Tibet. He'd become a scientist." Plagg said.

Realisation began to dawn on Adrien's features.

"…Mum went…to…Tibet." Adrien said.

"And so did Fu, right after her. When Fu saw Elijah again, he'd pleaded with him to change his mind but Elijah had run away. Blondie was there too, but she'd been able to track him down to a lab, before Fu could even reach it… The laboratory was huge, privately owned by Elijah's wife, who was pregnant at the time. She was a scientist, and she'd taught everything she knew to Elijah who had never gone to school. Your mum tried to capture him forcefully, but something went wrong, and a fire had broken out, it could have been a Bunsen burner, could have been an explosion, we were never told. Fu eventually got there and Blondie and he did everything they could, and they got everyone out of that building… Well, almost everyone. They hadn't found Elijah and his wife, but Blondie had gone back in. Fu was hurt and he'd passed out, and Wayzz had forcefully detransformed him because he was drained. By the time he came to… The laboratory was burned to the ground, and he hadn't seen your mum or Elijah. He looked, he really did, at least that's what they told us in the miraculous world. They told us that Duusu was just being kept aside to recuperate, and they said that Elijah was most probably dead, and that the humanity returned to the person on Earth who'd lost it. That day, I started noticing Tikki getting weaker. It was a few years later that Fu called us…He told us about _you._ That was when we met."

Adrien frowned. "So this is why he knows so much…And why he blames the Miraculous for everything… But Elijah didn't look like he'd been burned." Adrien said.

"Actually, he looked as if he hadn't aged a single day since he left the Miraculous world." Plagg said with a frown of his own.

"So he just wants revenge." Nino said suddenly.

"Maybe... but I think it's more than that. I think he wants to make a second wish. We aren't genies, the wishes made a sometimes cataclysmic." Plagg replied.

Nino bit back his response of 'You just wanted to say CATACLYSM'.

"I see…"Adrien thought for a moment.

"I have _another_ idea…"Adrien said cautiously.

"NO. We are NOT locking Elijah in a lab and burning it down." Nino said.

Adrien rolled his eyes. " _That_ wasn't what I was going to say, Marinette would kill me, not to mention _this guy_ over here would lose his shit." Adrien nodded his head towards Plagg.

Nino internally beamed at Adrien saying 'lose his shit', happy that his friend was becoming more normal.

"I was thinking… what if we turn Paris against Elijah _and_ Chloe?" Adrien said.

"How do you propose to do that? With Chloe, at least you have evidence, with Elijah, he could very well do his own broadcast and tell the people to help him take _you_ down." Nino said.

"While that may be true, I do have something that France needs the aid of that _he_ doesn't even with science." Adrien said.

"And that is?" Nino raised a brow.

"Powers that can make Paris safe again." Adrien said bluntly.

Plagg's eyes widened, and so did Nino's.

The room fell into a stunned silence.

Plagg was staring at him with his mouth open and his ears sticking up. The amount of shock in his small body that all his fur was standing on end. He was almost trembling from it, while Nino was outright tremoring. His eyes were wide and almost glossy as if he were about to cry.

Both males stared at him with such intensity that the man in question became self-conscious.

"What? Are my eyebrows that bad now?" He asked.

"You…You mean it?" Plagg asked in barely a whisper.

Adrien tilted his head, confused.

"Because…That would make you a hero…"Nino said.

Adrien raised a brow and scratched his neck.

"I guess it would… But I have selfish intentions, I'm doing this so Elijah doesn't hurt Marinette, she _is_ one of the wielders after-all, and so is Nino."

"And so are your mama and Nino's loud-mouthed girlfriend." Plagg said. Nino protested with a huff.

Adrien nodded slowly. "I guess that I… I kind of have people that I want to protect now, it's not like I'm a big hero or something, I just don't want them to get hurt." Adrien said quickly.

Plagg just smiled softly. "Kid, you're a bigger hero than you will ever know." He said simply.

* * *

Chat took a deep breath and looked down at the streets. It was raining.

The sky was a dark mass of blended greys, not unlike the young villain's thoughts.

She was too far away. Much too far.

And he hated it. He hated it so much. It was agonizing, and yet he couldn't let Plagg or Nino know about the building knot of anxiety building below his diaphragm.

He couldn't reach her. He couldn't protect her, he couldn't see her, it was as if she didn't exist, and the worst part was that nobody had noticed that she'd been missing.

Of course, she'd only been gone a day, but it was much too long for him. Just the _thought_ of her being gone another day was too much.

However, he understood, that the only way to get her back and keep her here, was to fix the pandemonium that he'd played a part in causing.

Drip.

Drop.

Drip, drip, drop.

It was still raining, and he'd stood out in the rain like that so many times in the past, he'd cried in the rain, attacked in that rain, screamed in that rain, escaped and reveled in that rain.

This time though, it was different.

Everything had changed.

For a moment he tilted his head upward as if to find solace in the icy blades of liquid. It calmed him, like it always did.

He inhaled and closed his eyes, perusing.

His mother was alive, lost and out of reach.

The love of his life and very reason for living, was in another world.

His rapist was hiding somewhere, probably deviously scheming.

'Adrien' was still missing, and Paris was longing for his return.

Nathanael was in a coma, and was still in love with Marinette.

Paris was no longer the City of love, as much as it had become the Capital of crime.

His father, was on a rampage, putting up posters and setting up search parties in other countries to find Adrien.

And he, he was about to finally answer Plagg's question.

Had he changed his mind?

…He had.

He had, as much as it was a blow to his pride, because he wanted to someday be able to take Marinette to look at the Eiffel tower at midnight, or dance with her in the rain so she could love it as much as he did, and he wanted her to be free again, free to come and go wherever she pleased, whenever she wanted. He wanted to be able to take quiet walks with her at night, or have a picnic under the stars, or just be with her without having to worry about some imbecile coming to attack her.

And he still wanted the world to hurt. He wanted them to suffer. They deserved the pain and he had every right to make them burn…

But his time with Nino changed that too…

Nino was part of Paris. Nino had bought his magazines too. Nino had played a part in his pain…

But Nino at that time, like everyone else, didn't know the truth. They had no idea that they were making him suffer. He had played his character too well, it was impossible for them to have known.

Even Marinette hadn't known…

But he'd come to love both Nino and Marinette… and it made him realise, that if Paris had only known, they would have protected him, like Marinette and Nino had done.

Perhaps it was too hopeful of an observation, but he was no longer the man ignorant of emotions such as compassion and love. He understood now…

Maybe not all of it…But he understood enough.

He took a breath.

Love, was a scary, scary emotion.

He glanced over at the studio, and took one more breath to finalise his thoughts before jumping down onto the tarred, watery street. Slowly, he walked over to the studio and looked around for a way to get in.

He couldn't be there long, Elijah would come if he knew that Chat was at the studio.

The man looked at his hand, it was the only other option.

"Cataclysm!" He said and his hand became covered with a black fog. He calmly placed his hand on the lockdown-system door and it immediately disintegrated into ash. Slowly, he walked into the studio and suppressed a groan as people began to pale at the sight of him. He walked straight past them, towards the IT department, and once there he zoned in on a man wearing a headset.

The man was staring at him with horror in his eyes and a stricken look on his face.

Chat sighed and looked around at everyone. The team had immediately stopped their news broadcast.

"Everyone, look at me." He said. He didn't have to, because they already _were_ frozen, petrified, staring at them.

"I'm not going to hurt any of you. You have my word." He said and held up a flash-drive.

"I need you to help me air something, can you do that?" He asked looking around at the station's crew and hosts.

After a moment, everyone nodded dumbly.

"Purrfect. Who do I have to give this to?" He asked.

Everyone pointed at a man who had raised his thin, shaking arm in a synchronized manner.

He nodded.

"Catch." He said, tossing the flash-drive at the man who fumbled with it a few times before actually grasping it.

"Air it to the very end, please." Chat said.

A few people gasped at hearing the villain say 'Please'.

"R-Right, Mister C-Chat Noir, Sir." The man stuttered.

"Just Chat Noir." Chat said.

Everyone blinked rapidly at the villain. Why was he behaving so… tamed?

He crossed his arms behind his head as he waited for the man to input the flash-drive into the main computer, as he did so, he glanced around and noted everyone still staring at him stunned.

He cleared his throat.

"Sorry for scaring you guys, every time I come in here." He laughed a little nervously. Their eyes widened.

Suddenly, a man fainted.

Chat groaned and rolled his eyes. "Come on, I didn't even do anything!" He exclaimed. They all just blinked back at him silently. He sighed and decided that perhaps it would be best if he stayed quiet, but just as he thought that, he caught sight of a designer, standing at the clothing racks. He gasped and pointed, "You!" He said giddily.

The man in question began to shake uncontrollably and the two hosts that had been near him, fell to the ground, unconscious, thinking Chat had pointed at them.

The man looked around him and realised that _he_ was the one Chat was pointing at.

"M-M-M-M-Me?" He squeaked in horror.

"Yeah, _you_!" Chat exclaimed.

He had seen quotes and tear-outs from magazines in Marinette's scrapbook of Inspiration. The man's name was Christopher Croé, and when he'd asked Marinette about her fascination with the man's work, she'd gushed on and on and on about how she wanted to meet the man someday, get his autograph and maybe even work with him.

Chat grinned, but perhaps it was a bit cynical looking because the man looked like he was starting to hyperventilate.

"My girlfriend _loves_ you!" Chat exclaimed, and he suddenly looked around for a pen.

The man shrieked in horror and fell to his knees.

"I swear! I've never ever had feelings for your girlfriend Mister Chat Noir Sir! Please believe me! I don't know who she is and why she loves me but I had no part in those affections! I'm gay! I'm gay! I would never! Don't kill me! Please! I'm sorry she loves me, I don't know what I did!" The man began to cry hysterically as he put his hands together and begged for mercy.

Chat who had found a pen and a page turned blinked at the blubbering man on the floor. He scrunched up his nose. He really didn't like the sight of Mucus.

"What are you talking about? I was going to ask for your autograph." Chat said as he walked towards the panicking ban and squatted with a frown.

The statement was too much for many of the crew, several of them had fell in shock, and those whose legs were still functional had collectively gasped.

Christopher gawked at him and stared at the pen and page that was being handed to him.

Chat's ring beeped.

Slowly Christopher reached out and took the page and pen.

"I…I…Wha…I don't understand,sir." He said.

Chat tilted his head.

"What don't you understand?" He asked.

The man gulped.

"Why aren't you attacking us?" He asked.

Chat let out a chuckle and pulled his baton out, twisting it open and pulling out a tissue.

"Well, maybe my tantrum is over." He remarked and handed the man the tissue.

Everyone heard him. Everyone in the studio heard those words. And they were speechless.

Christopher looked at the tissue, took it tentatively, and wiped his nose.

Then, he clicked the pen and signed the page, writing his name in a shaky script, it didn't matter though, anyone could tell that the writing belonged to him.

He handed it back to Chat who put it into his baton.

"Thank you, she really loves your work, especially your _Fractals_ line, her only issue was that the clinching at the waist in most of the dresses isn't as flattering on more petite women than it is on 'hourglass-figured women' as she said, and the choice of colours in your _Dessert Cream_ collection were a bit too dull, and some putridly clashed, she enjoyed the beige and cream combinations with the Swarovski crystals , but your _Dessert Cream:Peaches,plums,and Pine_ dress was horribly clashing, exquisite design but such an unfortunate shade of green to have with Plum, she did tell me that Pear would have suite the dress a bit better and would have really complimented the name of the dress as well."

Everyone was openly gawking at the villain. They couldn't believe what they were hearing.

Christopher blinked

"I'll… I'll look into it, sir, thank you so much." He said. Chat stood.

"Sir… It's ready to be played." The man at the computer said.

"Thank you, I'm going to leave now, but as I said, make sure that video plays to the very end. Have a pawsome evening." He saluted them, and started to walk out of the studio, leaving a hoard of stunned and awed people behind.

 **MLMLMLMLMLMLM**

Alya yawned and watched as the host on the Kids+ channel droned on and on about a boring topic. Live shows could be tedious, but her little sisters seemed to be enjoying it so she just yawned again and tilted her head backward.

Suddenly the screen went blank.

"What?No! You've got to be kidding!" The twins exclaimed as the man was cut off.

Alya looked back at the TV.

"It could be the rain." Alya said, getting up to go reboot the TV system.

The girls sighed. As the channels began to load, Alya stood in front of the TV with crossed arms.

"And besides, I told you girls not to watch Kids+ anymore."Alya looked at them with a raised brow.

"But Alya! Chat Noir hasn't been there in ages!" Both girls exclaimed.

"Still girls, just because I'm studying in America doesn't mean mom and dad haven't told me about you both watching the broadcasts." Alya said.

Suddenly, the screen changed from blank to a recording of Chat Noir. The twins eyes went wide and Alya turned quickly as she heard Chat's voice.

"Ella, Etta, go to your rooms." She said, and wordlessly they left, there was no arguing with Alya about this.

' _Good evening, Parisians. I trust you're all in high spirits and such. I'm sure you're all wondering the meaning of this interruption, I assure you, I won't be too long.'_ Chat said through the screen, leaning on his baton.

'First, _Let me give you a rundown of my life these past few months. As always, my life was being its usual shitty self, and you, continued to be very shitty people. Sometime down the line, a very disgusting creature decided to hurt someone that I love. Yes, I am apparently capable of such an emotion, and yes, that realisation freaked me out too. As I continued to try and thwart this slimy creep's advances, I learned quite a number of things… And… I learned some things about myself too. This is not an attempt to plead my innocence, no, I understand that I'm not a hero. I've done some rather disturbing things, things that I took pleasure in at the time, and I won't lie, it still_ _ **does**_ _make me excited thinking about blood and innards spilled on the floor…But I realised that doing those things happen to hurt those I care immensely about. And I also learned, that while many of you may be deserving of capital punishment, my mannerism or dealing with that is… troubling. As you know, I've promised to reveal to you the woman who's dared to challenge me. This woman however, has actually hurt many of you Parisians, and some of you still remain oblivious. So I realised, I might as well let you in on my game too. In other words, you will have a hand in bringing her down. Why should you help me, you may ask? Well, I've decided that if you, and the police collaborate, I will give Adrien Agreste back, perfectly healthy. You may wonder how he may be healthy in the slightest after what you've seen the last time, see for yourself.'_ Chat stopped speaking and the scene changed to reveal a perfectly fine, and innocent as ever looking Adrien.

He waved nervously at the camera.

" _Hi there, Parisians, so before you get worried, I'm okay! Alright, I wasn't at first, but turns out Chat Noir isn't too bad with first-aid. Anyway, I wanted to let you know that I'm fine, and Chat Noir has not been hurting me, I'm not allowed to leave though, but Chat Noir promises to return me if you work with him. Please forgive me for asking this… but could you please, please collaborate with him? I don't know who he's trying to bring down, but he's explained to me that this person has been Blackmailing people of Paris. He says she's done it to many, many people, and he didn't say how many, but I can deduce that its quite a number."_

Adrien picked up a page.

" _This is what he says he wants done… At the end of this video, he will show you the Photos of twenty women. Each of them is a possible suspect. Those who were Blackmailed to commit crimes that they didn't want to will immediately recognise their blackmailer. This is the course of action to be taken. If you have been blackmailed by a woman on the screen, you must immediately proceed to the Police Station as soon as possible. It is not only to give a statement on what was asked of you, and by whom, but also for your protection. This woman I capable of dangerous things and may even send people after you to shut you up…Permanently. This is where Chat Noir asks for the help of the police. He requests that all those coming forth with information be put in a safe house."_ The scene changed to Chat, again.

" _I know what many of you may think. You may be wondering if confessing would result in charges being laid on you. Let's think for a moment, would you rather confess and be protected by the police, or not confess and anxiously wait for this evil woman to plead your allegiance? Let me tell you, she isn't with a shred of remorse in her heart, and allegiance or not, she WILL double cross you. Think carefully. You'll be able to live without the constant threats and fear. Think about it._

 _And to the Police, I've been feeling rather generous as of late, so I have but another deal to make, not concerning Agreste, who I will return IF I get consistent collaboration from you. This, concerns a very troubling development that has come to my knowledge. It concerns a man named Elijah._

 _Nyaow, this man, is extremely dangerous. Dare I say it, perhaps even more dangerous than myself. He's kidnapped, maimed, assaulted and has even killed. Yes, he does sound a lot like me, but I've never killed anyone, and if you look at your records, I've never fatally attacked anyone lest they were something of a villain or an adulterer,_ _ **you're welcome.**_ _I don't feel very happy about him existing in Paris, because this man, sees no problem of taking advantage of people even in_ _ **their sleep**_ _._

 _So, I have a proposal. I will eradicate Paris of criminals completely, and_ _ **in exchange ,**_ _I want information and constant updates about Elijah's location, and sightings. He will be running all over this city, and I can't be everywhere at once, which is why, against my pride, I'm requesting your assistance. If you're confused as to what I mean when I say that I will eradicate Paris of criminals, I mean that I will do my best to restore Paris to its former state. Truth be told, even as a_ supervilliain _, I'm saddened by what Paris has become. Now you may believe me, or you may not, it is up to you, really. However, I really wouldn't gain a thing by lying, and I only do things if can gain something in return. Otherwise, the effort would be pointless. Now as I've said before, I'm not hero. I refuse to conform to any stereotypical nonsense, but you have my word that I will do my best to change this city, if not just for my_ _ **own**_ _benefit, for the benefit of everyone else who has someone that they love too, and want to protect with their entire existence… I guess that's why I'm here… I'm here because I want to give them the best possible life, one where they don't have to fear getting blackmailed, or hurt again, or taunted and emotionally abused, or raped… I don't want my Princess to live in that cage, or barred up tower, or wonder 'What if?', I don't want her to keep living in the past when things were happier, I want her to know that she will have a happy, beautiful future too, because she deserves it, I want her to be able to live, jump in puddles, wear a swimsuit if she thinks it's pretty, smile and be able to breathe without thinking that she's spending too long catching her breath. I don't understand it. I don't think I ever will. I'm not a good person. You know it, and so do I, but the promise that I'm making is for her, and if any of you feel the same way about someone, anyone… Then help me make this hellhole better_."

Chat picked up a perfectly sketched image of Elijah.

 _"_ _I'm going to send this image to the police, I'm expecting it to be printed and put up around the city so that everyone knows what he looks like. I'm also going to send the images of the twenty women to police, all via this." He picked up his baton and slid it back to reveal the screen._

 _"_ _And no, you won't be able to track it. Alright, so I think it's about time that I show you the suspects. Now under no circumstances must you act out against them, do you understand me? Nineteen of these women are innocent, but for the sake of buying enough time for the confessions to be made without he pulling an elaborate little scheme, I have to mention them. If I name her, outright, who knows what this psycho witch will do to you guys._

 _And for the last part of this clever little scheme, this game must be kept a secret. NOBODY_ _outside Paris must know about this. I've had a chat with our dear mayor about it_ …"

The scene changed from Chat against a white background to Chat sitting on Mayor bourgeois desk, legs crossed leisurely as he waved his tail in lazy circles. The man looked just about ready to faint.

" _I hereby decree that any individual found divulging information about Mister Chat Noir's plan to anyone outside of Paris will be sentenced to LIFE IMPRISONMENT. All photos, broadcasts, recordings, letters, articles or any other medium of the information are prohibited from leaving this city. It is for that reason that transportation to and from Paris will be halted until Mister Chat Noir deems fit. You may have also noticed that messages to anyone outside of Paris will not send, and neither will you receive any from anyone outside. This city is hereby under a complete isolation from the outside world and a communication lockdown. The police will work under Mister Chat Noir's instruction to ensure that all citizens follow protocol, and are under my command to obey and not attempt to harm Mister Chat Noir at all times. Take heed to all of these decrees._ "

Alya's eyes widened and she grabbed her phone. Was that possible? She quickly sent a message to Max who she knew was not in the country. Sure enough, the message did not deliver, but the one that she sent to Nino did.

She looked back at the TV wondering how Chat Noir had got that to happen.

She blinked rapidly. What was he? An alien? Was her best friend who Nino assured her was missing but safe at the same time really with _this guy?_

The scene changed back to Chat Noir.

" _Yes, yes, I know you feel like you're going to die if you can't go on Instagram or talk to your long distance mistress or whatever, you_ wont _'. As soon as all incriminating evidence is collected, you'll get your internet freedom back_." He waved his hand nonchalantly.

" _Now, here are the suspects… One: Alexia Strauss, Two:Ellie_ Crai _, Three: Nathalie_ Sancouer _, four: Clara Nightingale, five: Penny Rolling, six: Chloe Bourgeois, seven: Mireille Caquet, eight: Aurore Beauréal, nine: Gina Dupain , ten :Kagami Tsurugi, eleven: Nadja Chamack, twelve-",_ as he spoke, the images of the women in very clear headshots were put on the screen.

"- _Caline Bustier, thirteen: Sabrina Raincomprix, fourteen: Marinette Dupain-Cheng-_ "

Alya let out an involuntary screech. What was wrong with this man? He couldn't just name Marinette as a suspect!

But then again… It would take suspicion off of her as being someone close to Chat Noir… Alya pondered, Chat was intelligent.

" _Fifteen: Clara Contard_ , _Sixteen: Elenor Descartes, Seventeen: Alix Kubdel_ -"

Alya could imagine the anger that would seep from the woman being called out as a criminal suspect.

" _Eighteen: Lila Rossi, Nineteen: Sarah Carter, Twenty: Alya Cesaire._ "Alya fell backward in shock.

"WHAT?!"She screamed at the TV.

" _Now as I said, nineteen of these women are innocent, maybe some of them are blackmailers and I hit the nail on the head, but regardless, to the police, you are not to make contact with any of these women, and to the Parisians, neither are you. If you do attempt to hurt them in any sort of way, we are going to have some serious issues, and I'm certain you don't want that. There are some women mentioned on the list that are not inside Paris at the moment, that is not a problem that you should be concerned about. Follow what I say, and you get Agreste back, and a safe home once again, deal? Now as for Elijah, if he is sighted, an email must be sent to this address._ "

An odd looking email was broadcasted across the screen.

" _Once again, I'm sure you understand that the account or email cannot be traced. I'm certain I've covered all the points I've needed to, and I think I deserve a reward for being civil and mostly harmless throughout this entire video. Goodnight, and good luck to all of you. Claws out._ "

The video ended.

* * *

Chat slipped into Marinette's room, knowing that the entire city had seen the broadcasted video.

It was irritating being so boring, no puns, no cynical smiles, no humour. He wanted to fall asleep just _making the video._ He supposed though that his sudden change of demeanour was enough to paralyze and capture the attention of the masses, after all, they'd never seen him be _civil_ before.

He sighed picked up Marinette's pillow, holding it to his chest tightly.

Distance, was a damn, frigging hard thing. She was safe, he knew, but he didn't like not having her there, in his arms, where he could protect her from anyone who would try to harm her.

He hated it. He hated that the last time he'd seen her, she'd been concerned that he was going to end his life, and not even long before that, he'd pulverized and mutilated a man in front of her, questioning her loyalty, and comparing her. And though she'd kissed him, nothing was okay.

He needed to apologize for so much, for everything, for being such an idiot. He couldn't brush it under the carpet, he wouldn't.

And then there was Chloe…

That evil _thing_. She'd actually managed to kidnap Marinette… He'd let that happen, and if Plagg's wife or girlfriend or whatever hadn't gotten there when she did, Marinette would have lost her life. She would have died, and it would have been his fault. He couldn't bear the thought of it. Just the _idea_ of it haunted him and forced an uncomfortable feeling into his chest…because it was almost reality.

Never. Never, ever, _ever_ again would he let that happen. He was going to protect her with his very life, because if she could get kidnapped before, then he wasn't doing a good job of it, was he?

No, he would fix his mistakes.

He loved her too much to let her ever be sad or hurt again. He would make sure she was the happiest woman in the world, and he would help her build the best possible life, together.

Of course, he couldn't really act on his thoughts _seeing as she was in another world._

He would just have to wait till she returned, just like he had to wait for the confessions so he could put that _thing_ away for good so that she'd never hurt his princess again, and like how he had to wait for Elijah to be spotted to find out wherever the hell the man was hiding…

All good things to those that wait.

He'd done what he could, so as much as he hated complacency… It was all he could do as he hugged the pillow to his chest.

A beep from his baton caught his attention. He picked up the device and peered at the screen, his eyes widening as he read the name of the person he'd received a message from on his own strange email.

" _Dear Chat Noir_

 _I understand that you have not harmed my child, Adrien, after what I'd seen the last time. For that, I am truly, eternally thankful. I am. I will never truly understand why you took him, as you could have taken anyone, but I need you to know that I will help you in whatever way possible in order to get him back._

 _When you spoke about wanting to protect that person that you love, it occurred to me that I have only wanted to do that for two people. My wife… and my son, Adrien. I isolated him to do just that… because I never wanted him to be taken from me. I wanted him to be mine and his mother's forever, safe and sound. I never wanted him to develop attachments to anyone because I wanted to save him from ever feeling the pain of losing someone. I even went to the extent of isolating him from myself._

 _You've taken him, and I've realized that I couldn't have made a worse decision. I've regretted it every day since he's been gone. I understand that you may not care for this message, and I've never been a man of urgency but I've become desperate. I need my son to know that I care for him, that I love him, I love him so much and I've forced him to live a life that I should never have forced him to live. Please, please tell him that._

 _Chat Noir, I will do whatever you want. Tell me what I need to do, and I will get it done. I've already decided to issue a statement that pertains to the confessions of those blackmailed; I will provide lawyers, additional body guards, and any attorney fees to all, and every one of the people who come forward. I also feel that I should let you know that I have been in contact with Elijah. I apologize, but before, I had run out of options and had found him… And requested his help. You see, Chat Noir. I know about the Miraculous, and I know you have the Ring of the Black Cat, and I can't tell you how I know because I swore an oath, but Elijah knows about them too. He wants to use them, and then destroy them afterward. I know that you know who Master Fu is, and he may have spoken to you about it, but there is a whole other world called the Miraculous world, and I know that Elijah wants to get there and destroy it._

 _Again, I am sorry, because even though I shouldn't have, I was the one who told Elijah that Fu was in Paris. I gave him all the resources he needed to annihilate you in hopes that I would get my son back. I'm telling you this so that you can prepare yourself, please don't punish my son for my foolishness._

 _If I find out anything, I will message you immediately. I will do whatever you ask. Thank you again for not hurting my boy anymore. If you need anything whatsoever, do not hesitate to contact me._

 _I will do it anything._

 _Yours faithfully_

 _Gabriel Agreste_ "

Chat swallowed thickly and bit his lip in a futile attempt to stop the trembling.

Slowly he sent a reply.

' **This was enough. Adrien says he loves you too.** '

And then, he cried.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

 **A/N:CONFESSION FROM RARA FOR THOSE WHO GIVE A DAMN:**

 **Alooooohhaaaa! Hee heee, hope this chapter soothes you guys, I'll be able to write again and update constantly soon. This semester has just been really crappy and I needed to find myself, and my brain that seemed to wander off at times. It gets a bit hectic, I sometimes forget that I'm younger than everyone else in the Major I'm in ( I'm basically 18, and will only be 19 at the very end of the year ,I'm in my second year of University), it's hectic, people are having babies, getting engaged, all that stuff, I'm here like, "Shit, am I being left behind?" and I have to keep reminding myself like, 'NO Rara,you're fine, it's all fine.'.**

 **Point is, I've been figuring out a shitload about myself, I mean, I knew a lot before, but now I kind of really know myself, and that makes me happy. So yeah that's why I've been missing, sorta…Kinda, okay I post on Instagram, at least you guys know I'm alive! :'(**

 **Also, thank you for the favourites and follows and the reviews, you really got me through everything this past two years, you know, and I feel that I should let you know that I love you.**

 **I love you so so so much. I never would have made it this far without you. I'm not going to lie to you guys, I could write Chat Noir so well because that was what I was feeling. The hatred of those around me. The pressure of living up to my family's expectations. Trauma. I haven't been happy for a very, very long time, and I think that was why I sympathized with Adrien, I know what it's like. It's terrible. No, I don't want pity, I'm just being straight. Like, every day, I hear all the little problems and woes of those around me and sometimes I get so upset internally, and I'm like 'you don't even know the true meaning of suffering'. I've wanted to end it so many times, and I never really succeeded, and it used to scare me, how sad I really was but how I managed to fool everyone for so long.**

 **Would you believe me if I said each comment you made got me through that? Every time I posted, you'd read, and when you'd review, it made me feel so proud of myself. I felt like I** ** _needed_** **to keep living because you guys had faith in the story, inherently, faith in me, faith that I often didn't have myself. I'm tearing just thinking about it. You have no idea how often I open my reviews and just read them, even when I don't post, laughing at your jokes and smiling at the encouragement. You have no clue how much it meant to me. How much it** ** _still_** **means to me. You guys gave me a reason to be here, and I'm glad I stuck it out. I'm getting better, I still have insomnia, but I learned that it's not that scary these days.**

 **I just want to thank you, for being there, for living with me. I really love you more than you know.**

 **XOXO**

 **Ra Ra**


	29. Tick

**A/N: Did you miss me?**

"You know dude, I sincerely doubt that this is safe. Pastel pink hair or not, if someone sees you... Maybe if I add a bit more foundation." Nino said wearily as he eyed Adrien.

Adrien fought the increasingly intense urge to roll his eyes, and instead opted to clench his jaw and respond through fiercely gritted teeth.

"I'm in a female trench coat and some deliriously high boots, I'm wearing a pink wig with sunglasses that look like the eyes of that of a _Drosophila Melanogaster_ lacking the genes for the wild-type phenotype, my lips look as red as Marinette's menstrual fluids, and these false lashes have got me _this_ close from cataclysm-ing every one of the beauty stores in Paris, I'm _certain_ I will not be recognised, and you have certainly done enough, so don't mess with me." Adrien said, sounding more haughty than menacing than he would have liked.

Never in his wildest imagination had he ever thought that a day such as this would arrive, a day that he was caked in foundation eight shades lighter than his skin tone actually was to cover up his tan, wearing ungodly amounts of perfume and not smelling like his favourite body wash. He felt disgusted at the unfamiliar change.

"Look, all I'm saying is we have to be stealthy. If we're going to be walking there, chances are that many people are going to see you."

Adrien pursed his already plump but overlined lips. They had decided that it would be best not to go in Nino's car as people may become weary of a car outside the house of their neighbor Fu who had not made the slightest inkling of a sound all week. Earlier, Nino had done what he insisted was a 'drive by', and he had noted with peaked interest that everyone living on that street seemed to not have a car. Whether it was out of fear of having it stolen in the current version of Paris or out of reverence for the environment, Nino was unsure. What he did know, however, was that if he happened to chance bringing his car there, and parking it on that street, people were bound to wonder what was going on. It seemed to be a very quiet, reserved street that hardly got any visitors, but the last thing that they needed was to be caught in headlights, literally. That left them squandering around, trying to come up with a disguise for the blonde who insisted on going due to his claim of Nino not being 100% thorough when it came to his scheming and stealth. Everyone with eyes would be able to tell Adrien was a model from his height and build. At first they played with the idea of disguising him as a severely obese man or something a bit heftier than his current lean physique, but Adrien was pathetic at not walking gracefully, it was ingrained in his persona and try as he could, walking with a waddle or straight-forwardly just looked as if a long stick had been shoved uncomfortably far along up his backside. They tried covering him up with make-up and slapping on glasses, a wig and a beard, still, his walk was a dead giveaway, he was one of two people who had that particular walk, one of which was just the flipside to the original. Eventually, after several failed attempts of disguising him, Plagg suggested that if Adrien looked like a woman, nobody would question the walk or the face. Hesitatingly, begrudgingly, Adrien relented. To the guy's utmost surprise(And Plagg and Nino's amusement), he was a master at walking in heels, owing to _Anton Ravensburg_ and his incessant need to put him in anything that involved people ogling him and _everything_ that he considered wacky enough to be on the Runway.

Plagg regarded Adrien from his perch, which was currently the tip of Nino's cap.

"If Marinette could see you now." He murmured.

Adrien looked at him with irritated eyes and a downright exasperated expression. "I'm doing this for her. And no, she is _not_ going to see me like this… And neither of you are going to tell her about this, got it?" Adrien said, staring Plagg and Nino down.

Both his companions just rolled their eyes. Honestly, they were never going to tell her in the first place, Adrien needed to have more faith in them.

"Relax, you look gorgeous, maybe your lipstick is a tad too dark but it's not unpleasant looking so stop being so particular, now can we go?" Plagg whined. Adrien gave himself a once over in the mirror. It was kind of worrying to him how feminine he looked, and he was certain that if anyone looked at him in a remotely promiscuous way, he was going to snap, and their guts would go flying, maybe an eyeball or two, and some of their most probably grossly under-endowed parts… perverts.

He took a deep breath. No. He needed to endure this. For him. For Marinette. For their future. If he couldn't help her wherever she was, then he'd be damned if he didn't help her where he could. To hell with dignity.

"Let's go." Adrien said with resolve radiating off his caked skin, flicking his hair. "Where's your handbag?" Nino asked, looking around. They had decided to get an enormous one to stow inventory in if they needed to.

"There." Plagg pointed to the laundry basket.

"Right."Adrien said, moving his coat so that Plagg could slip into the inner pocket.

Nino offered him his arm.

"Milady." Nino bowed and snickered.

"Just shut up." Adrien hissed lowly.

"Careful Princess, your Chat Noir is showing." Plagg taunted. "Yeah, no need to get frisky." Nino said. Plagg and Nino began to laugh. Adrien was thankful that the make-up was what Nino called 'full-coverage', because he knew his face was probably red with frustration.

" Imbeciles. I'm surrounded by damn imbeciles." Adrien said lowly as they walked to the front door and left Nino's place discreetly.

The pair walked in a calm manner in the direction of Fu's home.

As they crossed a road, some teenagers cat-called.

"Resist. Resist. Resist." Plagg and Nino practically hissed.

Adrien flared his nostrils indignantly. ' _I'll hang them off the Eifel tower with their vile_ _ **tongues**_ _, disgraceful excuses of men. The city is on a communication lockdown, they could at least pretend to give a damn.'_

" Shitheads." Adrien snarled, but he more than anyone knew that he couldn't blow their cover, they'd worked hard on this disguise with Nino running back and forth, buying the clothes and shoes, and for someone who kept up a fake persona for years, he knew exactly the implications of acting out.

He wouldn't risk it.

Plagg and Nino breathed a sigh of relief once they were out of range of the boys.

'Shitheads.' That was a new one coming from Adrien.

It was hard not to miss the frightening murderous look in Adrien's eyes but they said nothing.

"We should be there in a few minutes." Nino said.

Adrien nodded. After nine more minutes, they were finally on Fu's street.

"What's the name of this street?" Adrien asked. "Aurora Avenue." Plagg answered, not skipping a beat.

"Ah." Adrien said in acknowledgement. The trio looked around cautiously.

"Seems clear." Plagg said. "Right, let's go." Adrien said. Briskly, they all walked to Fu's front door and after Plagg zapped through the door to unlock it from the inside (Since he and Nino had locked it the last time they'd come to see Fu only to find him missing), the boys quickly walked into the home.

All three breathed a sigh of relief.

"The road seems really dead, we really should have just driven here, I wouldn't have had to have worn this uncomfortable disguise." Adrien remarked.

"Better safe than sorry, bro." Nino said. Adrien sighed, pulling off the pink wig.

"What exactly are we looking for?" He asked, looking up at Plagg who flew up to perch on his blonde locks.

"Well, uhhh, there's a little something that I mayyyy have left out… We have to find the contraption that opens up the entrance slash opening of where the container is placed… And uhhh, you see…Well…Uhhh… I have never actually seen what the contraption is… Actually I know what it is, sort of, along the lines, it's just I'm not a hundred percent suuuure…"Plagg started, rubbing his cheek. Adrien and Nino's eyes widened.

"WHAT?" They both chorused.

"See, I know it's a clock, well I think… and I know we have to enter some sort of activation code thingy-majiggy which we would possibly just need to turn the clock needles in a right sequence if it IS a clock, I just don't know _which_ one it is in this house… But I know it ticks really loud once you activate it! And I know it's IN this house." Plagg answered quickly.

"… You know how to activate it right?" Adrien asked slowly.

"… I'm working on it." Plagg laughed nervously.

"Youre working on it." Adrien deadpanned.

"Uh, yeah." Plagg laughed nervously.

"Wait, you mean to tell me, I spent hours doing _that-"_ Nino started as he gestured indignantly towards Adrien's feminised and clearly displeased and exasperated form, "-in order to get here, and you have no idea how to activate the contraption that you _think_ is a clock but aren't 100% sure about?"

"Well at least we know the container is in this house. I'll figure it out." Plagg waved a flipper.

Adrien's left eye twitched and he grabbed the mischievous kwami in his fist, bringing him close to his face, narrowing his eyes in agitation.

"Uh huh, and how's that going?" Adrien asked with a frightening smile.

"Uhhhh…I'm working on it…"Plagg said.

Adrien exhaled. "Could you not have said something _before_ we got here?"

"It wouldn't have made a difference, I mean we'd have to search for it either way." Plagg rolled his eyes.

Adrien pinched the bridge of his nose and released the kwami.

"A warning would be nice in future, even if you feel it irrelevant, Plagg." The blonde sighed, kicking off the heeled boots.

"This apartment is quite decently sized, where do you suppose we should look first?" Adrien glanced at his companions.

"I'll look at the walls, maybe it's hanging somewhere." Nino mused.

"If all he knows about the contraption is that it may be a clock because it ticks really loud once it's activated then we can't scratch out pocket-watches or wristwatches."Adrien said, bringing his elegant hand up to tap his chin.

"There's also the possibility that Fu would have it on him." Nino said.

"I doubt it." Plagg said.

"Why is that?" Adrien asked, training his eyes on the floating creature.

"Because Fu isn't stupid enough to keep anything of value with him knowing that there's the possibility of being robbed or pickpocketed, he doesn't even keep a wallet, and just by having the Turtle miraculous on his wrist, he feels his pushing it. Wayzz told us as much when he used to visit the miraculous world." Plagg said.

Adrien nodded to himself.

"It could even be an alarm clock…Alright, we should split up and see if we can find anything." Adrien said, offhandedly fanning himself.

Nino nodded and Plagg stayed exactly where he was, floating in the same spot thoughtfully.

He was going out on a whim saying it was a clock, but the times that he'd heard the ticking noise, he'd been in the Miraculous box, and it really sounded like the ticking of a clock to him, but there was a huge possibility that he was colossally off the mark, and the next issue lay in the absence of knowledge pertaining to how to _actually_ activate it.

He had not the slightest inkling of an idea, but he couldn't say that, really, he couldn't. The boys left the room, fanning out to find whatever ticking device that they could. Adrien walked through the rooms briskly, and carefully scanned the walls before moving to the closets and drawers.

It felt quite weird to be snooping around Fu's belongs the way that he was, and at the back of his mind he admittedly felt a little guilty as he went through the old Guardian's drawers.

That thought alone froze him, and he straightened up with a frown.

Guilt… Involving someone other than Marinette…

That was new, or rather, it was something he hadn't felt in a long time, and he wasn't particularly sure how to react.

Nino peaked into the room carrying a cardboard box. "Any luck, dude?" He asked. Adrien blinked and shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"Not as yet, there's still quite a few rooms that we have to get through." Adrien replied. Nino nodded absently. " Well, if you do find anything, just drop it into this box, I'm leaving it in the kitchen near Plagg, hopefully he'll tinker around or something and figure this crap out." Nino said, turning to walk out of the room.

"Noted." Adrien said.

Nino paused mid-step and slowly craned his neck to regard his companion with slightly furrowed brows. The blonde's default poker face was on, perfectly set. Nino pursed his lips for a moment, he felt that he could see right through it.

"You know, Adrien... I don't know if you know this, but you're one of the best guys I know." He said suddenly. Adrien stopped staring at the contents of Fu's drawer in favour of staring at the man he had recently labelled as a friend.

"Pardon?" Adrien replied silkily, not quite understanding.

"You heard me. You really think you're the worst, but you're far from it." Nino remarked.

Adrien slowly tilted his head in a manner that reminded Nino a lot of Chat Noir when he was about to scratch someone's throat out in a cynical way.

"I can see it, you know, when you space out and trail off. You don't understand what's happening to you anymore." Nino said,and Adrien straightened up to look at him, a measure of panic flashing behind his eyes at Nino's insightfulness.

"I have some degree of understanding." Adrien replied.

"You do, but not a very deep degree, is it? A lot of the time, you look like you want to be angry but can't, and many times you look like you're angry but don't want to be. All the time, you worry about Marinette, and the whole time, you forget about taking care of _you_. Several times, you double take on any action you decide to make and a shitload of the time, you find yourself trying to understand why you want to hurt people when you actually want to save everyone, simultaneously." Nino said.

Adrien's nose twitched. "You're mistaken. Everything you just said is a completely misguided opinion." Adrien said. Nino smiled a little.

"They're going to love you, the real you, I promise, and by then, this will all make sense. Plagg, Marinette and I already do, and it wasn't even a challenge, as _you_ assumed it would be." Nino said softly, leaving the blonde to his own thoughts.

Adrien blinked before scoffing.

"Whatever." He said under his breath as he opened another drawer. It really irked him how well Nino had come to understand him and his unorthodox behavior. Frankly, he didn't know whether to feel happy, or uncomfortable.

Mayhap a bit of both. He closed the drawer and let out a deep breath, leaning against the drawers.

It was fine, because Nino didn't see _everything._

He was fine. Plagg was… something along the lines of fine.

Marinette was hopefully fine… Possibly….Maybe…

Adrien ran a hand through his hair, completely frustrated. He'd been trying very hard to hide it from Nino and Plagg but it was becoming too much for him to handle.

Some odd feeling was swirling I his chest, and clawing at both sides of his diaphragm it seemed, and while he was not a stranger to this painful, anxious type of ebb, he couldn't understand why he was feeling it so strongly.

A whole lot had happened in the last few days, and though a bit of it was resolved, something in his gut told him that he was in for something much worse than he could ever imagine.

The feeling gnawed at him, as if it was some flesh eating bacteria traveling greedily along his insides, and for the life of him, he could not make sense of the feeling.

And _that_ scared him.

It scared him because he already knew the things that made him hurt.

It scared him because he knew the things that made him anxious, but the anxiousness of not even knowing _why_ you were anxious?

 _That_ was the feeling that he hated most of all.

Adrien supposed that he should be thankful that as perceptive as Nino was, he was not able to see as deep as he thought he could. He took another breath and made yet another attempt to clear his thoughts, then, he left the room.

Plagg's green eyes followed his form silently as he entered the next room.

Plagg groaned, he had been thinking of what the possible activation code could be, but he kept coming up short

The kwami groaned in irritation before letting out a loud sigh.

 **MLMLMLMLMLMLMLMLMLMLMLLMLMLMLMLML**

Marinette groaned and twitched, her eyes scrunching.

"Is she waking up?" A feminine voice asked.

"No idea, humans always look weird so that expression could very well just be her face." Another voice replied gruffly. A few hums of agreement became audible.

"I think she should wake up soon." A squeaky voice said.

"She should have woken up a while ago, I'm concerned." Someone said.

"We should stay calm. She'll definitely be alright." Another voice replied quietly.

Everyone remained silent and stared at the young woman.

Slowly, Marinette opened her eyes. The room was dimly lit, nearly to the point of darkness, thankfully, but the eyes of the other inhabitants shone brightly in contrast. Blinking the exhaustion out of her own eyes, she took a breath before _really_ taking a look around.

"Marinette! Oh I was so worried!" Someone said, and not more than a second later, Marinette's disconcerted line of vision became filled with a small pink kwami.

"Tikki? Where am I? Did we escape?" Marinette asked, her eyes beginning to widen as the memories flooded into her mind.

"We're in the Miraculous world, and yup! We're all here." Tikki answered.

"Yes…We're _all_ here." Someone drawled, glowing orange irises flicking from Marinette to Fu with a pointed look. Fu looked down.

"Honestly Siberius, there was nothing else that he could have done." A calm voice responded. Marinette's eyes flitted through the dark room towards the cerulean eyes glowing softly.

"Am I missing something?" Marinette asked, nervously.

Someone scoffed, pink eyes seeming quite irked. "You're not missing anything my dear, but the human world sure is." Marinette frowned in confusion, looking towards Tikki.

Tikki frowned at the owner of the voice before looking back at Marinette.

"It's going to be okay Marinette. We'll get you back soon anyway! Don't even worry about it."

"You'll be back to your own plane in no time at all." The young looking man with cerulean eyes stated soothingly.

"How long is no time at all?" Marinette wondered out aloud.

"Approximately two days. If a **human** from the human world enters the Miraculous world, the Miraculous world spits them out after a maximum of three days. You've been here for almost a day so you'll be sent out soon." Someone said, and the statement was soon followed by the sound of a crisp slap.

"Oww!"

"Don't tell her that! What if she pulls an 'Elijah' on us?!"Someone hissed.

"She's a Miraculous wielder! She wouldn't do anything stupid!"

"URM, HELLO?CHAT NOIR? CRAZY BRAT WITH A MIRACULOUS? DOES THAT RING A BELL?" Someone else said.

Marinette gasped.

Elijah.

Chat Noir.

 _Adrien Agreste._

"Elijah!" Marinette suddenly gasped. She looked at the glowing eyes surrounding her. "He's-"she started only to be interrupted by someone with purple irises.

"Evil? Conniving? A disgrace to this world? An abomination to human society?"

Marinette blinked.

"Uhhh, not what I was going for mam…I was going to say that he's trying to get into this world…"She said nervously.

"Yes, yes, we're aware, child."

Marinette sighed in relief.

"Truthfully there isn't much we can do without causing a stir in the Human realm, but we do need you to get to your own realm because by you being here, we're susceptible to infiltration." Someone with green eyes spoke, glancing around.

"Until then, what do we do?" Marinette asked in worry.

"Miss Marinette, please relax, we'll take care of it. As we speak, possible solutions are being brainstormed in a room down the hall. For now, just rest, it will all be okay. Elijah will be caught and balance will be restored." The person with cerulean eyes spoke calmly, eyes twinkling all the while, seemingly almost amused.

Marinette bit her inner cheek. If Elijah was still out there, Chat could still be attacked by him.

 **MLMLMLMLMLML**

Plagg groaned as he rubbed at his ears. All he could hear was the ticking of all the clocks in the box he was rummaging in. He'd been thinking for quite a while now, but he'd still come up short on what Fu might have had in mind for the activation of the contraption. Aside from that, Nino and Adrien were _still_ searching for the said contraption.

Nino sighed for the umpteenth time, running a hand over his face.

"Not to be a bummer or anything, but this sucks." He commented.

"Did you expect searching an old man's house for a ticking object to be fun?" Adrien asked dryly. A loud growl interrupted them.

"I'M HUNGRY." Nino said, clutching his abdomen.

"Me too!" Plagg gasped, popping out of the box of ticking items.

"Quiet you! Get back in there!" Adrien all but snarled.

Plagg wailed. "I'm staaaaarviiiingggg. Feeeeed meeee."

"I'm sure the old man won't worry too much if we make a sandwich." Nino said walking into the kitchen.

Adrien's eyes widened. "You can't just go into someone's home and use their food." He said, going into the kitchen to stop Nino who was already rummaging in the freezer.

"Relaaaaax, I doubt he's going to walk in on us." Nino rolled his eyes, taking out some chicken nuggets.

"What if he's saving those chicken nuggets?" Adrien asked, crossing his arms.

"Not everyone is possessive about their stuff, Bro." Nino snickered.

Adrien pinched his brows.

"That's not the point." He replied.

"Let's see, how does this thing work…" Nino trailed off, having already put the nuggets on a plate. He was staring at the microwave oven sort of contraption with six small stove plates atop it. In truth, it looked worse for the wear.

"Oh, that doesn't work, at least I think it doesn't because I haven't seen it in action, I think Fu keeps it because he likes these ugly looking things."Plagg replied, floating into the kitchen too.

"It looks ancient."Nino's nose scrunched

"I know, doesn't really match the interior, does it?"Plagg replied rhetorically in distaste.

He gasped.

"Heyyyy! While Fu is gone I can finally get rid of it! It's such an eyesore." Plagg shivered in disgust.

Adrien's nose twitched. " Don't gasp like that! I thought you found something." He sighed.

Plagg shrugged and flew over to the fridge. "Help me toss that out later, kay?"

Nino shrugged, attempting to pull the oven door open, but it didn't budge.

"What the hell man, the door doesn't even work. It's a piece of junk." He said in aggravation, smacking the side of the oven.

Meanwhile, Adrien continued to stare around the kitchen. Everything was so neat, clean, and modern.

"I really can't think of anything else, and we haven't found anything else… What if he hid it in the floor or something?" Adrien supressed a groan as he spoke. He was starting to feel helpless again.

"This thing is so weird. Thank God for the modern age." Nino said with a huff, giving the oven a look of intense loathing.

Adrien pursed his lips and furrowed his brow, quite deep in thought. His eyes wandered over to Nino who left the strange oven and walked over to the stove. For a moment, Adrien's eyes remained transfixed on the oven.

Something clicked in his mind and he let out a small, barely audible gasp, briskly walking over to it with widened eyes.

Plagg watched him. "What?" He asked but Adrien just bent down to inspect the old contraption.

His green eyes flitted across the different knobs, there were six, each with identical number sets that seemed to be painted on: the numbers 0 to 9.

The knobs were in pairs, two in each row and three rows with two columns.

Then there were two knobs, a bit further down. One seemed to control the temperature of the oven in degrees Celsius while the other one was looked like a timer that went up to 60 minutes.

"This! This could be it!" Adrien suddenly said, spinning around to face his companions.

Plagg raised a brow.

"How could _that_ be it?" He asked. Nino frowned.

"There's six knobs, look, supposedly each one controls one of the stove plates, but they're positioned in pairs, sets of two. Like a date, a month, and a year. The levels go up to nine. And it's got a timer too. For some reason the timer is set to ten minutes." Adrien said.

Plagg's eyes widened.

"It can't be." He replied, gobsmacked.

Nino blinked. "He's right, I've never known of a stove level going up to 9, this oven must have been specifically made for this purpose."

Plagg paused.

"Come to think of it, he's always had this thing." He mused out loud.

He flew towards the oven.

"Why would it have a temperature knob though? It doesn't fit." Plagg asked, glancing at Adrien.

Nino was the one who responded.

"…Maybe it's not a knob."He walked forward and bent down to get a better look at the knobs.

"Maybe it's like a safe. A modern safe… After you enter the code, you have to press the button."He spoke thoughtfully, reaching out and pressing the knob.

It moved inward as if it were a button, but the moment it did, a loud beep sounded, startling both Plagg and himself. Adrien on the other hand looked elated. Plagg held his ears. "Temperature knobs shouldn't do that." He said.

"Nino! You figured it out!" Adrien said, turning to Nino.

"No, dude, this was all you, I was gonna help Plagg throw this thing out later!"

Plagg thought for a moment. Well, at least he knew not that the code was a date… But what was the timer knob for? What time did they have to input? Or was the timer knob significant of another factor.

"So the code is a date." Adrien turned to Plagg, speaking a matter-of-factly.

"Any significant dates in Fu's life?" Nino asked.

Plagg pondered for a moment.

"Not many that I know of… There's the day he got accepted to be a Guardian… The day he left the Miraculous world to come back here… The day Elijah escaped the Miraculous world…That's about it."

Adrien blinked. "Do you remember those dates?"

"I do." Plagg replied.

"What about the timer knob?" Nino asked.

Adrien frowned and looked back at the timer knob.

"… Is it fixed at ten minutes? Can the knob move?" He asked, eyes narrowing.

"Haven't tried to move it."Nino shrugged.

Adrien reached forward in an attempt to turn the knob back to zero, but to no avail.

The knob wouldn't budge, not even in the slightest.

"It's fixed… Just like a knob on a safe… When you enter the right code, you press enter, and when you turn the knob, the safe opens…" Adrien said, a look of realisation dawning on his face.

"Ohhhhhh."Nino said in awe.

"So we just need to put in those dates."Adrien said."Go ahead Guardian boy, you can tell him the dates Plagg…"He said to Nino and moved aside.

"Okay…"Plagg said, albeit unsurely. Fu was never a self-centred person, of all three dates, the only one that didn't have to entirely do with him was the day Elijah escaped the Miraculous world.

He sighed and flew forward. The only possible way to know was to make an attempt.

Nino cracked his knuckles. "Let's do this." He said enthusiastically.

Plagg nodded. "He got accepted to be a guardian on the 02/10/65."

Nino nodded and turned each knob to the respective number before pressing the temperature knob. It made a loud beep noise, just like before, but similarly, when he tried to turn the timer knob, it didn't move.

Plagg frowned.

"He left the miraculous world on the 21/06/70."

Nino nodded, quietly repeating the numbers as he turned the knobs.

Again, it didn't work.

Plagg exhaled with a frown.

"Elijah escaped on the 12/12/10."

Nino blinked. "Twenty ten?"

Plagg nodded.

"Okay…"Nino put the numbers in.

All three males held their breaths…

An exercise in futility, because that date didn't work either.

The all let out the breath they held collectively and dejectedly.

"How are we supposed to know a date that's important to him?" Adrien said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Nino sighed. "Maybe he keeps a journal or something?"

Plagg stayed silent for a moment.

"There is another date… But I'm not sure of it since I wasn't actually there to witness anything…"He said slowly. Brown and Green orbs flicked towards him.

"The day your mother and Duusuu disappeared and Elijah's wife and kid died." He replied.

Adrien paled.

Nino looked at Adrien.

"…Do you remember the date?"He asked tentatively.

Adrien blinked.

"I remember the year… But not the date, Father hid my mother's disappearance from me for quite a while before he actually said something. My apologies." He replied.

Plagg sighed.

"Would your father know it?" Nino asked.

Adrien's brows furrowed.

"He doesn't really keep track of dates very well, I mean he's always unintentionally forgotten mum's birthday, and their anniversary on a few occasions…"

"Yeah, but this was a very sorrowful day for him, he must remember it, bro." Nino argued.

Adrien thought for a moment.

"He has a locket with a picture of her in it… Maybe it has the date she went missing too under the picture or something?" Adrien mused.

Plagg tapped his chin.

"Can't we just ask him? He did agree to corporate, right?" He asked.

"What would I even say to him?" Adrien asked.

"Well, if we're emailing him, we can just be blunt as hell, like 'Yo man, when did your wife go missing?' and hopefully, he responds quickly." Nino replied.

"Oooooo! Not a bad idea." Plagg said.

"Are we going to do this now? Do you have enough energy?" Adrien asked Plagg.

"Yup, I'm good." Plagg said, closing one eye and sticking his tongue out. Adrien didn't look convinced, and made a mental note to detransform as quick as he could.

"Alright, Plagg, transform me."

Nino watched the transformation in his usual awe.

"I never, ever get bored of seeing that." Nino said happily.

"I don't know whether to be flattered or concerned seeing as I transform into a cat-man wearing a suit that leaves next to nothing to the imagination." Chat replied, eyeing Nino wearily.

Nino wagged his brows.

Chat made a face and took out his baton.

"Alright…Email…"He said to himself as he opened up his email.

"I think it's best to be blunt, curt, straight out, you know? That way he won't ask questions."

"Should I just write, 'What was the date of your wife's disappearance?' or is that too blunt?" Adrien asked. Nino shook his head. "That's absolutely perfect. Blunt is what we're going for."

Adrien nodded and began to type the message. He was a bit nervous but he kept his face as stoic as possible, biting down the instinct to panic.

He hit send and let out a breath.

"And now we wait." Nino said.

They wouldn't have to wait long at all it seemed, because the baton made a noise, indicating a new message.

"It's from him." Adrien said.

"What does it say?" Nino asked, face filled with eager anticipation.

"Just the date, 14/06/12." Chat replied. "Plagg, detransform me."

Plagg zapped out of the ring and took a deep breath.

"Right!Let's do this!"he said as soon as he did.

"Think it'll work?" Adrien asked.

"Just trust me, if this doesn't work kid, then nothing else will." Plagg said in certain voice. He looked over at Nino.

Nino rolled his shoulders.

"Right, let's get it." He said before jumping twice, a new habit that Adrien responded to with a sigh.

Nino began to enter the code, turning each knob carefully. He then eyed the Temperature button.

"This is nerve-wrecking." He spoke.

Adrien who had been biting his thumb growled in exasperation.

"It would be less nerve-wrecking if you just pressed the damned thing quickly." He snapped.

Nino blinked hard and pushed the temperature knob inwards.

This time however, it made an entirely different noise from the previous attempts, it was almost like the sound of a c-chord on the piano.

Everyone held their breaths as Nino reached for the timer knob. Shutting a single eye, he attempted to turn the knob, and sure enough, it turned all the way to zero.

Not even a second after it was turned, the oven began to let out an impossibly loud ticking noise.

"Urgh!"Plagg exclaimed, covering his ears. "That's the ticking noise I was talking about. Open the door." Plagg said over the sound.

Nino quickly swung the door open with ease and the incessant ticking ceased.

"WHOA!" He gasped.

"What?" Adrien asked, curiously.

"Check it out! It's huge in here!" Nino exclaimed, moving aside.

Adrien frowned and peaked into the oven. He blinked rapidly.

"I was not expecting that." He admitted.

Plagg flew towards the entrance of the oven.

"What are you guys talking about?" He asked, confused. It was only when he swerved past Adrien to look through the oven opening that he saw what they were talking about.

It seemed that the 'oven' was no ordinary oven at all. Inside the oven was what seemed to be a room, quite a large one at that, filled with multiple sacks of various glowing stones, rows upon rows of oddly coloured concoctions, several huge containers housing what looked like various harmless foods. Those were just a few of the items that the room held.

"I recognise that! Marinette had to eat those biscuits when she was sick!" Adrien said, pointing at one of the huge containers filled with pink biscuits.

"Maybe the witch in Hansel and Gretel wasn't really trying to cook them when she tried to stick them in the oven, you think she had one of these fancy room ovens that she wanted Hansel to play in?" Nino asked, looking over at Adrien who looked stunned.

"I'm sorry, I'm just in awe that the Undetectable Extension charm exists in real life." Adrien replied, shaking his head.

Plagg raised his brows.

"Well, that's a lot of stuff down there that we have to take…"He said, and turned to look at Adrien who was still mostly dressed as a female.

"I think we need to buy you a bigger handbag." He said, with a straight face.

 **A/N: Let's keep this short and sweet, I'M BACK, and you can expect one chapter per week for the next two months. I have so much to share with you guys! But I'll get to that later on, for now I'm just going to get back into the swing of the story.**

 **I know this chapter was a bit slow, trust me, I had to create the setup for the plot, so I hope you read this chapter carefully!**

 **Gosh I missed you, oh and I got all your reviews!Thank you so much for each review!I love you so much!You guys rock.**

 **Please REVIEW this chapter, I'd love some encouragement, since I'm writing after AGES!**

 **XOXO**

 **Ra Ra**


End file.
